Finding A Loud
by Omega Ultra
Summary: Sometimes life throws you into situations you don't expect. Sometimes it throws you a curveball, and sometimes you need help to catch it. But what happens when those you care for are the ones throwing? A different take on the "Lincoln is adopted" theory.
1. Finding A Hope

**A/N Hey guys! I'm back, and this time I'm tackling a story idea I've been working on for a while now. I saw the abundance of stories trying to deal Lincoln being adopted, and decided, "How could I make something different?" And this is the result! I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter One: Finding A Hope

"Almost there…" The young boy whispers, as he pulls himself to eye-level with the kitchen cabinet. Despite the pain he feels, he manages to hold himself up. _"Come on…"_ he gazes into the cabinet.

And finds nothing of value.

His heart sinks and a pained frown forms on his face. _"Dangit."_ he loosens his grip and drops to the kitchen counter below. He sighs, _"There's nothing here…"_ before jumping down to the floor and scanning the room once more.

Early morning moonlight filters through the dusty kitchen windows, its soft light falling upon the young boy, illuminating his white hair and torn orange shirt. " _Come on Lincoln, there has to be something you're missing…"_

 _"Got it!"_ He snaps his fingers and turns around. His heart races even faster as he runs over to the nearby fridge. The old thing is small and slightly rusted with random magnets strewn about its metal face, no doubt placed there by the resident's children. To many, it would pose no significance; after all, it's nothing more than a refrigerator!

Yet, to the boy it's like a present just waiting to be opened. He quickly takes hold of the bottom handle and pulls, expecting something to happen- whether it be food falling out or some mistake causing him to open it too hard and make a sound. Yet, nothing does, much to his relief.

"Phew…" He takes a quick look through the contents. From what he can see, the fridge is filled from wall-to-wall with a random assortment of uncooked foods, raw meats and fish, as well as some milk and leftover orange juice.

" _For the kids… I'm doing this for the kids… and if we ever decide to leave, Liberty too."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, _"…I wish I didn't have to do this…"_

He quietly grabs the juices and milk, as well some of the random snacks that were behind them, shoving them in his light-blue satchel. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing." Then, he slings the bag over his shoulder, before sneaking though the home. Within minutes, he climbs the old wooden stares with a care only displayed by ghosts. _"Don't make a sound Lincoln, you don't need the family bursting through again and going back to Ms. Paradigm's. Remember, you don't want Liberty to cry right? You gotta stay quiet."_

Soon enough, he reaches the second floor, an L-shaped hallway with four doors. Above the stairway is a small, open window; its clear panel allowing soft moonlight to enter, illuminating the room.

The young boy's heart begins to race as he approaches the first room and turns the knob slowly. "Locked…"

He gives a defeated sigh before leaning his ear on the door, from the sounds of shuffling and slapping, he could continue relatively unimpeded for a few minutes at the very least.

With that in mind, he turns and continues down the dark hallway's railing, over to the second door. Unlike the first, this bedroom door opens.

 _"Jackpot."_ He thinks, as he opens the room door slowly, careful as not to disturb the bedroom's lone resident. He spends a short moment gazing inside, mentally preparing for what he was about to do.

The room, unlike most of the rest of the home, has a dark blue carpet. Oddly enough, the walls appear to be a dark pink-hue while the cabinets and dressers the rest around the room's perimeter are a mixture of white, brown and grey.

 _"Let's see what I can do here."_ The young boy thinks, his heart racing and his veins filling with adrenaline as he steps forward, entering the room with a ghostly silence, _"There has got to be something I can take before I leave."_

Lincoln steps over the carpet quietly; making sure that his movements would go on in peace. He silently scans the open room for anything of interest. From what he could see, there is nothing of value, some comic books, a few picture frames, some action figures and the like.

 _"Man, I wish this were easier."_ He silently walks over and checking the cabinets. With a careful grace, he slowly opens each drawer, hoping that the metal racks wouldn't give his nightly deed away.

In the first two, he finds nothing of interest. Though for a moment, he considers grabbing the clothes and packing them in his satchel, "No… they'll wonder where I got these."

Then he moves onto the third, and opens it up. While expecting to find more clothing, smiles in delight as he finds a phone, a small wallet some Duel Monsters cards and a few power cables.

 _"Awesome…"_ He thinks, a mixture of shame and pride beginning to fill his body, _"Looks like I'm not going to come home empty handed after all. I may not be able to bring home a lot of food directly, but at least I'll have a little money…"_

He sighs, before unfolding the pouch and eyeing the contents quickly- a few gift cards, a state I.D. that is too dark and small to read and a few dollars in cash. _"Heh, five bucks huh? Well, it's better than nothing."_

For a moment, he eyes the cards, but eventually shakes his head, _"There's no need for it Lincoln. I can't use credit cards and stuff like that. And if I'm caught with them I'll just end up having to give them back."_ He sighs before eyeing the expensive devices next to it, _"Hmm… I could always try to sell… No Lincoln, bad idea."_

He sighs once more, before standing up… causing him to come face-to-face with one of the many picture frames placed around the room.

For a moment, the young boy hesitates, unsure if he should continue or take a break; after all, he was burning moonlight! Yet, even he cannot resist the temptation and takes the frame in his hand.

Despite the darkness surrounding him, the moonlight is more than enough to illuminate the picture. It is Christmas in the photo with two men standing to the right of an Evergreen Tree and a young, dark-skinned boy standing between them.

He looks down and begins to tear up as he places the object back in its resting place, he sniffles, _"I can't believe it's been over five years since that day…"_ He then turns and looks out into the early morning sky. _"Well Lincoln, another morning's work's done I guess…"_ He sighs, _"Liberty isn't gonna be happy, but we do what we must to make life just a bit easier."_

"Uhh… who are you?" A young voice asks.

Immediately, Lincoln's eyes go wide. _"Dangit."_

"And why are you in my room?" The voice continues.

Slowly, he turns around. His heart races faster than ever before, the only sound the boy can hear is that of his shuffling feet and heavy breathing. In the darkness of the room, all he can see is the dark silhouette of a boy with curly black hair. The room smells of nervous sweat, while the air tastes like salt.

The next moment seems to slow down, as if the world itself holds its breath as the young boy shouts, "Dad and dad! Help!"

Immediately, Lincoln thinks, _"I messed up!"_ Before he turns and rushes for the door… only to find two men standing before it, one light-skinned with orange hair and a slightly pudgy, dark-skinned one.

 _"I can't get caught!"_ Lincoln grits his teeth, before turning quickly. With only seconds to act, he checks the scene once more, _"There's my out!"_

And with that out in mind, he rushes forward before jumping on the bed and climbing out the window.

"Hey! Stop!" The shorter man calls out, anger and determination filling his expression.

"What were you doing in our son's room?!" The lighter-skinned man asks.

Lincoln looks back in hesitation, " _Should I? It's my only shot to get out of here… But… If I do this wrong I might not…"_ He grits his teeth, _"No Lincoln, no time for fear. You have to get back to the orphanage on your own. You can't have the cops bring you or else it's reform, military or juvie."_ Then he looks down, "And all three would break Liberty's heart."

He secures his bag, _"I've got one shot."_

His eyes shut, _"No hesitation."_

And with that, he leans forward and falls.

In that instant, his mind races, as if it is trying to contemplate what the sweet release of death feels like…

Only for him to land in a puddle of still-wet mud.

"I'm… I'm still alive?" He whispers while feeling his body in surprise, before he pulls himself from the moist earth.

"I'm calling the cops!" The red-haired man declares, his angry voice cutting through the night like a knife.

 _"And that's my cue!"_ Lincoln thinks, before he attempts to stand… only to feel shooting pain in his ankle, causing him to fall to the ground, "Ugh." He groans, "I don't have time for this!" He pulls himself from the mud once more, and with a slight limp, he makes his way out into the backyard and hops the back fence.

Yet, he doesn't rest. Despite the pain he continues onward; through the second yard and out into the front, reaching the road on the other end. He doesn't bother to check for oncoming cars while he crosses the street. Then, he enters another yard, rounds another house, hops another fence and moves on.

Finally, after close to twenty minutes of limp running, he stops and drops to the ground.

"I should be in the clear for now." Lincoln whispers as he leans back against the trunk of an oak tree, "I wonder what Liberty's going to say this time. I can't walk that well on a bum leg."

Then, he tiredly leans forward and rolls up his right pant leg, "Ok." He whispers, "Let's see how bad it is…" His thoughts begin to race as his eyes fall upon the injury, _"Dangit… I can't let Mrs. Sherman see this!"_

From what the boy can see his leg is fine, save for the cuts, bruises and scars he usually had. Yet, his ankle is a different story.

While not broken, it is swollen and would remain so for short while to come. "Well this is just great…" Lincoln sighs in defeat, "Well… at least it could be worse." He sits up straight, and takes off the bag, "At least I'm not coming home empty-handed."

"But how am I going to hide…" He glances at his surroundings and spots a lone tree branch, waiting for someone to claim it. Immediately, the boy crawls over and takes it in hand, "It's nothing special, but it's still better than trying to walk on this right now."

Using the branch as crutch, he forces himself up and starts moving, the shooting pain in his ankle now held at bay. "Heh, if I'm lucky I can make it back before breakfast."

It takes him a few painful seconds to reach the end of the block and a few more to reach the main town's outskirts. Royal Woods, of course, is a quaint town in Michigan. Like many of its kind, it suffers from its fair share of problems, from the potholes that the mayor always seemed to forget about to the cracked sidewalks that Lincoln has to walk over.

Yet he is used to this long trip, after all, he's had to run it countless times before!

Eventually, despite his injury, he reaches the inner town outskirts where a familiar building rests, waiting for the first customers of the day to arrive, "Heh," Lincoln smiles, a nostalgic feeling filling his body, "I remember the Christmas Mr. Sherman took us to shop there… The Royal Woods mall was amazing." Then he sighs, "That was three years ago, or something."

The boy is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't realize when he steps into the mall driveway.

Immediately, a car horn goes off, causing him to stumble back in shock as a blue and white van with a glassy-second layer passes by.

It takes a moment for him to come to his senses, and with an angry voice he shouts, "Hey! I'm walking here! Watch where's you're driving you dolt!"

The van stops and backs up in front of the boy. The passenger-side window opens, revealing a blonde, young woman in a light-blue shirt and clutching a phone in her left hand. She covers the receiver as she responds, "Look twerp, I literally don't care if you want to get hit by a car or not, but if you don't then you literally need to watch where you're going."

She returns to her phone, "Sorry Bobby… nothing, just giving a dirty boy some life advice." And with that, the passenger-side window closes and the young woman drives off.

"Geez, what an arse." He mutters quietly, before forcing himself back up and heading on his way.

After the mall comes the inner town- the collection of random small businesses and attractions that allows the town to bring in a decent income all-year-round.

When Lincoln walks through it, it is mostly deserted, save for the early day shoppers and the storeowners preparing for another business day. Many of these don't notice him as he makes his way passed.

The few that do notice him jeer in contempt.

And why wouldn't they? He is filthy; his pure white hair is so stained that it would appear to be brown. His faded orange shirt is torn at the ends while his faded blue jeans have holes strewn randomly about them. As for shoes, they're a size too small, forcing him to go almost lace-less. His skin is bruised, no doubt from the fall he had endured close to an hour earlier.

"Don't let it get to you…" Lincoln continues onward, fighting the tears starting to form in his eyes, "Don't let their wordless insults get to you. I have Liberty. She will love me more than anyone else can. She's my sister and I don't need anyone else!"

He passes through the town square, thank goodness it is mostly deserted or else some random stranger might try to pity him- something that even he hoped would not happen.

 _"Almost there Lincoln, almost there."_

Finally, after close to an hour and a half of limping and using the tree branch as a crutch, he reaches his destination- a small, aged wooden home with a surrounding metal fence. Above the front gate rests a small, water-torn sign that reads, "Miss Paradigm's Home For Children."

" _Back home."_ Lincoln thinks, as he unlocks the front gate and enters the front yard; the home's yellowing grass greets Lincoln with a typical exhaustion as he throws the tree branch aside. Though forced to limp, he manages to make his way around the place he calls home and enter the backyard without being noticed.

"Hey! Give it back!" A young girl yells in desperation.

Immediately, Lincoln's eyes go wide and his heart races.

 _"Liberty!"_ He ignores the shooting pain welling up in his leg and rushes into the backyard.

There, he finds a beautiful, white-haired girl with long-flowing locks, a faded orange blouse and blue skirt chasing a red-haired boy. "That's mine!" She shouts, "Give it back right now!"

Lincoln can see the desperate tears forming in her eyes as he takes chase.

"Whatcha gonna do? Get your brother to stop me?" The boy taunts… only for Lincoln to come from behind and tackle him to the ground.

"Yes, she is!" Lincoln angrily shouts, before he steps on the boy's wrist, forcing him to let go of a small, brass, heart-shaped object.

"Get off me!" The red-haired boy counters, before forcing Lincoln off, grabbing hold of the locket and running at him.

Yet, Lincoln jumps to his feet to counter… only for the red-haired boy to throw a punch, hitting Lincoln in the face. He proceeds to knock Lincoln to the ground and kick him in the stomach, causing him to curl up in pain.

"Yeah! You…" the red-haired boy starts, only for the girl to tap his shoulder.

"What the-" he starts, only for Liberty to punch him in the face so hard that he falls to the ground, unconscious.

"Come on bro, you ok?" Liberty extends a soft hand towards him.

Her brother slowly lets go of his aching body and takes his sister's hand, "Yeah sis, I'm fine. I could've handled him ya know."

Liberty gives a small chuckle, "Don't worry, I'm sure you did bro, I'm sure you did." Her eyes fill with serious annoyance, "Now, care to explain where you were this morning? You weren't in bed when I woke up." She motions at his dirty body, "And why are you covered in mud?"

Lincoln holds onto Liberty as they move over to a nearby peach tree and rest in its morning shade.

"Well, I was out looking for stuff again." Lincoln rubs his head in embarrassment. "Almost got caught. So I jumped out a window and landed in a mud pile. I also ended up twisting my ankle… again."

His sister just stares at her brother rage filling her gaze, "Lincoln! How I feel about you breaking into people's homes for that stuff!"

"I know." He nods in shame, "But hey… at least we've got something nice to eat and drink later."

She sighs in defeat, "You know what Mrs. Sherman said would happen if you got caught breaking into people's homes for food again!" She helps him to his feet, "Now come on. Let's get you something for your ankle."

The two walk back into the home as Liberty helps Lincoln into their shared room.

Liberty carefully uses water to clean off Lincoln's leg, before shoddily wrapping Lincoln's leg with the spare medical tape in the first aid kit the director had bought just a few months ago. The lack of bandages, alcohol and other supplies tells of its use and the last time it was filled.

A few minutes pass, before another young girl walks in. "Where have you been Lincoln?" She leans against the doorframe. "I didn't see you this morning."

Lincoln responds, "Hey Cristina, I was out, just running some errands and junk."

Cristina sighs. Out of all the orphans under the Ms. Sherman's care, she can be described as the most leadership bound. In a way, she is the one who makes sure that everyone is safe and sound while the director works on the technical aspects of the home.

The redheaded girl stares at Lincoln, not with anger, but in disappointment, "Lincoln, you know that if you keep doing that, you're going to get caught. And the last thing you need is to get sent to you-know-where."

"Yeah I know Cristina." Lincoln responds with an ashamed voice, while Liberty finishes wrapping his ankles. He has a bad habit of twisting them for no reason.

"Ok Lincoln, I've fixed your ankles… again." Liberty declares before her brother sits up next to her.

Cristina shakes her head, "Just know Lincoln, you have to be careful. You wanna get adopted, don't you? You know what happens when someone is sent to St. Olga's Reform School For Wayward Children."

Lincoln simply nods, and Cristina turns away, "Anyways, it's time for breakfast. Mrs. Sherman made the usual."

The twins simply sigh, before standing up and following her downstairs. Moments later, the duo are sitting next to each other on the side of a large, extended table. One-by-one, the other children enter.

The first is the same red-haired boy from before, Chandler. He simply glares at the twins as he takes a seat at the opposite end of the table. From what they were told when he first arrived, Chandler had an abusive father who killed his wife. After a long and painful trial, he was put in foster care. There are signs that he hasn't taken it well.

"Why does Chandler do any of what he does to us?" Liberty whispers, as she clutches her heart-shaped locket.

Lincoln simply shrugs, he knows his sister is the curious type, _"Any parent would be lucky to have her for a daughter."_ He thinks, before looking at the empty plate in front of him, _"But me? I'm just a worthless street rat."_

After that, another young girl walks in and takes a seat next to Lincoln with, "Hey Lincoln…" She then grabs onto the older boy's arm.

"Stacy…" Lincoln whispers, trying to get annoyed at the girl's overly clingy behavior. Though, even he can't muster up the courage to tell her to let go. In a home like this, the children couldn't help but feel distant from each other. Little Stacy was brought in at the tender age of three and now was closer to six. Lincoln is the closest thing she has to a father figure!

Ironic, given that the next person to walk in is Mr. Sherman, the caretaker of the orphanage. He looks upon the children with the cold, distant eyes of a man that had seen too much. From what little the children knew, he had fought in a war and had met Mrs. Sherman while abroad. He provided the main source of income from the orphanage, as the meager funding it received was never enough.

He wordlessly takes a seat at the table head before pulling out a newspaper.

After that, more children come along and sit at the table, culminating with Cristina coming carrying a meager plate of food with the orphanage director. It takes a few moments but eventually the children's plates are given their small portions, though the older kids sacrifice some of their food so the younger ones can eat decently.

" _I have to make sure to put what I got in the fridge later."_ He glances at the other wards, a few girls and a few boys, some are orphans, some came from abusive homes, and yet, they all have one thing in common- they live under the same roof.

After pouring the morning's spread, the director takes the seat opposite her husband.

Mrs. Sherman is an old woman; her hair grey from the experience of raising the orphans Royal Woods would send her. She, unlike her husband, is more open to speaking to the children. From what they can gather, she was a nurse, treating the poor men who had ended up in her medical tent, and just like many others, she too chose to settle down with one of the soldiers.

With a soft, caring gaze, she greets the children, "Good morning kids! It's that time of the month again!"

 _"Oh great."_ Lincoln thinks _, "Here we go again."_ His eyes fill with a defeated pain, every few months, the director would hold meetings for the town's folk to come and meet the orphans in her care, in hopes that some would get adopted. Though, it would be rare that more than two or three attended- and usually it would be a young couple that discovered that they were unable to have children of their own, or a man or woman without a partner looking to raise a child.

"As such." She continues, "We need to make sure that this place is ready to welcome them!"

The orphans choose not to make a peep of protest at the plan, after all, every time they held the meetings, someone would get adopted, they never knew who, but… still, it was the most hopeful yet painful time of the month for the children.

Lincoln quickly finishes his meal, with Liberty following soon after. Mrs. Sherman always gives them the job of fixing up the clothing the children would wear, despite the fact they rarely received donations, the old woman made sure that during the interviews and open houses the children would wear the best she and her husband could provide.

And within a few minutes, they are upstairs working on just that. "Remember Liberty, the nice dress for Stacy." Lincoln goes and his sister responds, "No probs bro, remember the date pants for Chandler."

"Heh, he's gonna hate wearing these!" Lincoln quips, his voice filling with excitement. "Good for that arse!"

Liberty nods in agreement, "Of course he will, but you gotta look pretty for the perspective parents!" She smiles, "After all, you gotta leave a good impression or you won't get adopted."

"Yeah… adopted…" Lincoln's voice fills with worry.

"What is it bro?" Liberty tilts her head towards him.

Lincoln looks at his twin and shakes his head, "Oh, it's nothing sis…"

Liberty walks over and boops him on the cheek, "Come on Linc, you know I can feel when something's bugging ya!"

"We don't have twin telepathy sis!" Lincoln chuckles, swatting her hand away as he does so.

She shrugs, "Yeah, but out allergies act up around the same time." Before she sits on the bed and motions for him to follow, "Now, why don't you tell me what's buggin' ya?"

"It's nothing… just, how about we take a walk in the park?" He places his arm around his slightly younger twin, "After all, it'd be nice to take a walk in the unseasonably warm weather."

"Heh, all right." Liberty pushes her brother off and hops to her feet, "Let's go then, this can't be too bad. She boops him again and looks into his eyes, "But later, you've gotta tell me what's buggin' ya, ok?"

Lincoln nods, "Sure." Before he too hops to his feet. And together, the twins walk out of the house they've called their home for five years at this point.

 _ **A few minutes later…**_

Usually, a trip to the park and wintertime involved some sort of snow, but not today. For some odd reason the weather was warm, with the sun's heat falling like rain upon the town.

"Heh, relaxing, ain't it sis?" Lincoln goes, placing his arms behind his head as he does so.

Liberty chuckles, "Course bro." she follows his step though remaining silent; allowing the soft sounds of the outside world to engulf them. They can hear the birds sing as they return from the trip south. The squirrels, which were supposed to be hibernating, run along the ground searching for their nuts.

And a young woman's sweet song flows through the air.

"Wait… who's singing?" Lincoln breaks the calm air and begins to look around.

"She is Linc." Liberty nonchalantly points to the source- a young woman in a purple shirt and slightly lighter skirt. She has fair skin and brown hair, as well as… paperclip earrings?

"Huh, she actually sounds pretty nice." Lincoln smiles, before walking over and standing by the young woman.

Her voice is filled with a soft passion as she sings, "Someday! We'll all be free! Someday, we'll live as one family in sweet harmony! Someday! We'll all be free! Someday ayyhey! Ooo-hoo!" And with a joy-filled strum she finishes, much to the delight of the twins waiting next to her.

"That was awesome!" Liberty praises, "You can really sing!"

"Heh, yeah." She rubs the back of her head in embarrassment, "I just came to the park to practice a bit and got carried away."

Lincoln smiles, "Well, I'm glad you did. That was a nice song."

"It was The Fat Rat's 'Unity'." She strums again, "It just felt nice to play, so I did."

"Well thanks for that, it felt nice to hear." Lincoln goes, causing the young woman to smile, "Thanks." And with that, she goes back to singing random songs to her heart's content.

"She seemed nice." Liberty smiles.

Lincoln shrugs, "Yeah, there's not much to say about-" He almost finishes… only to run into a young, blonde-haired girl wearing a turquoise dress.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the boy says in annoyance… only for the girl to look around, "I don't know who 'where you're going' is though!"

"Seriously?" Liberty tilts her head in confusion.

"Uh-huh." The young woman answers, "I was just about to-" Her eyes go wide, "Wow you two look just like each other!" She jumps to her feet.

"Uhh… yeah… we're twins." Lincoln goes, motioning towards himself, "I'm older."

"By five minutes only!" Liberty counters, her face going red as she does so.

The young woman looks at them for a moment, "I like the matching style you two are going for, but like, why don't you two try to wear something different?"

"Orange is our favorite color is why." Liberty answers, throwing her arm around Lincoln as she does so.

"Like, ok then!" She goes, "Anyways, like, you should try to pull off blue. It's like, totes your color!" And before either twin can respond, she walks away, no doubt trying to find whatever place she is looking for.

Lincoln shrugs at that, "Well… that was weird."

Liberty adds, "She seemed nice though."

"Heh, yeah." He steps forward, "Now how about we get back to the-"

"G'ahh!" A young girl, wearing a pageant gown followed by a similar-looking girl shouts… only to run right into Lincoln.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Lincoln shouts in annoyance… again, "That's the second time in five minutes!"

"Sorry mister!" The young girl in a red cap and overalls goes, "I was just chasin' my sis here!" She motions towards the young girl with blonde hair wearing a pink pageant gown and sash.

Lincoln pinches the bridge of his nose, "That's fine and all, but-"

"Ooo, are you twins too?!" she continues, her voice filling with surprise and curiosity.

"Yes. But I need you to-"

Liberty cuts him off, "Hey Lincoln, lay off them." She smiles, "After all, I'm pretty sure she meant no harm in runnin' into ya."

Lincoln sighs, "Fine."

"Hmph, why don't you watch where you're goin'! You got in my way!" The girl in a pink pageant gown shouts, her voice filling with rage.

"You could've ran to the side and watched where you're goin'." Lincoln immediately counters… only for her twin to tap the pageant girl's shoulder.

"What is it Lana?!" She spits out.

"I'm still covered in mud sis." Lana responds, causing the pink girl's eyes to go wide in shock. Before anyone can react, she runs passed Lincoln and Liberty, hoping her muddy twin wouldn't catch up to her anytime soon.

"Well those were some colorful characters." Liberty chuckles. "Heh, yeah, if I didn't know any better, I'd think they were some TV show or something." Just for added fun, she playfully punches his arm, causing Lincoln to respond with the same. "Yeah, yeah. Now how about the walk? After all, it's not like someone else can interr-"

"Come one and all to Luan Loud's magic act!" yet another young girl- though this one wearing a white polo and yellow skirt- greets.

"Here we go again." Lincoln smiles, as he watches his sister run up and join in the young woman's magic act. _"Heh, at least she's having fun… it'll be nice to see her like this until the usual… pain that tomorrow will bring."_ He sighs, though the simple sight of his sister laughing is more than enough to keep him up.

A few hours later the twins finally finish their stroll through the park, much to the slight dismay of Lincoln.

"That was fun bro!" Liberty shouts, and Lincoln simply nods, "Yeah. Though, after a while, all of those girls just running in did get annoying."

"They seemed fun though." She playfully punches him; "They'd be great to have as sisters one day!"

"True." Lincoln looks up, towards the setting sun, "But what are the odds that seven random girls are gonna all be part of the same family?"

Liberty chuckles, "Very low. I should know."

The memory of that test they took just a few days prior echoes in the his mind, "Heh, just because you apparently have a higher than expected IQ doesn't mean you're really smarter than me!"

"Yeah, I know." She chuckles. "It just means I have a weird potential cap and stuff."

And as the twins walk out of the park for the day, Lincoln can't help but feel something as off, like some shadowy girl is watching him.

 _ **Later…**_

With the day's preparations complete, Lincoln rests in his bed. Moonlight shines through the dusty old windows of the twin's room.

"Hey Lincoln…" Liberty whispers, "Hey, wake up." She gently shakes her sleeping brother, much to his dismay.

"Liberty?" He groans, "What is it?"

For a moment, his sister hesitates, unsure of how to answer her tired brother.

That's the only answer he needs however, and he asks, "The same nightmare?"

Liberty nods, "Yeah… the same one."

The boy scoots over in his bed and motions for his sister to join him. She responds by wordlessly getting inside and pulling her brother into an embrace.

He doesn't question her clingy behavior and instead does the same

"Hey Lincoln…"

"Yeah Liberty?"

The young girl looks at her twin with begging eyes, "Do you think we'll ever get adopted? We've been here for close to five years and no one has ever taken an interest in us…"

Lincoln holds onto her sister tightly, "Don't worry Liberty, I promise we'll find a home we can both live in."

"But what if they want to adopt me and not you?!" Her voice gains a fearful despair, as she holds onto her twin tighter. "Remember? A big reason why people decided not to adopt us is because they didn't wanna break us apart!" She looks away, "And the older we get, even fewer people are gonna want to take us in!"

The young boy hesitates, unsure of how to respond to his sister's worries. Yet, he steels his nerves and responds, "Don't worry Liberty, I'll make sure that doesn't happen… I promise you that. I'll stay with you, no matter what."

His eyes move up, and gaze out the moonlit window, _"To think, it's been five years since…"_

"You'll get me something nice for our birthday next week?" Liberty asks hopefully.

Lincoln smiles, "Of course sis… just make sure you get me something nice too."

The twins lean in, closer to each other, soft smiles forming as the hold each other in their embrace.

And with that, the two siblings fall into a deep, hopeful sleep.

9-20'19 15-14-12-25 3-8-1-16-20-5-18 15-14-5 1-14-4 16-5-15-16-12-5 1-18-5 1-12-18-5-1-4-25 19-8-9-16-16-9-14-7 12-9-2-5-18-20-25 1-14-4 12-9-14-3-15-12-14… 16-18-15-2-1-2-12-25

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! This is the first story my friend Exotos really hasn't edited. In have place, I have my friend Lovecraft fan as an editor and Wolvenstrom as a beta-reader, and I thank them for their help! I also thank Mr. Dusk for pointing out issues with the writing, I have done my best to edit the chapter accordingly!**

 **Anyways, seeing as I'm still writing the chapters (C2-C5 are nearly complete) feel free to send in ideas! The next update will come in 2 weeks so I can make some more headway story-wise. Also, the title is subject to change, feel free to suggest anything!**

 **And as always, tell me what you guys think!**


	2. Finding A Sister

**A/N Wow, I didn't expect people to like this story as much as they are. Seriously, 21 Reviews, 21 faves and 32 follows?! Anyways, I thank everyone who's reviewed, followed and faved so far! The plan for this story, as it stands, is an update every Saturday, every one to two weeks. Most of the story is planned out (as in, I've written the chapter first drafts), but editing is a tedious process. This chapter was extremely hard to write, but I think it came out nice.**

 **Anyways, R &R!**

Chapter Two: Finding A Sister

"Ugh…" The young boy groans, as opens his eyes… only for the blinding sun above him to force them shut.

In a daze, he holds his arm up to block on the star, while he tries to get to his feet… only for shooting pain to well up in his leg, causing him to fall to the ground, _"What… what's going on?"_ Panic fills his body as he painfully looks around.

Just a few yards away is the burning wreckage of two cars- one of which he was no doubt in a few moments prior. Around them is IS-85… oddly deserted given the time of year. It is as if the world around him is in its own bubble.

"Lincoln!" A soft, feminine voice weakly calls out.

He painfully looks up, towards the source. "L-Liberty?!" He spots his sister leaning up against the car door. Somehow having freed herself from the belt that held her in place, yet from what he can see, the flames would reach her soon.

" _I… I have to save her!"_ He thinks, the adrenaline in his system forcing him to his feet. With a painful limp, he pushes his way to the car- yet the distance seems to grow with each step- as if for every movement he makes, the world pushes him back two!

And soon enough, the world around the young boy begins to go dark, as he falls to the ground, the loud voice of his twin echoing in his mind.

"Lincoln!"

"G'ahh." Lincoln lets out a loud gasp, as his eyes are forced open and he quickly sits up in his bed. In a panic, he takes a quick look around round, breathing in and out as he does so.

Soft moonlight illuminates the orphanage bedroom, just as it has done for countless years. Slowly, he gazes out the window and takes in the calm night, _"Everything's fine… everything's fine."_

" _I'm… I'm in my room… Nothing bad will happen here."_ He turns to the young girl sleeping next to him, _"And Liberty is ok… she's ok…_ " He breathes a sigh of relief, before lying back down, and putting his arms around his sister once more.

" _Everything's gonna be fine… everything's gonna be fine."_ He shuts his eyes once more, _"Just remember the summer in the hills… Those hazy days…"_ And with fear filling his expression, he drifts off once more.

 _ **Later…**_

*Ring!* The old analogue alarm clock goes, before a hand smacks it asleep.

"Ugh…" Lincoln groans, before releasing his sister from the bear hug he had held her in, though she doesn't stir from her slumber. "Morning already?" He glance as the clock, hoping that he had made mistake, "Seven-thirty…" He sighs in defeat, before turning and hoping to his feet.

Soft sunlight filters through the old orphanage windows once more, bringing a soothing warmth to the rather cold room. For a moment, the young boy takes in the heat- letting it bring a soft warmth to his injured skin. _"Ok Lincoln, today's the day."_ His gaze falls upon his sleeping sister, _"Today, we get adopted."_

The boy then carefully leans over and shakes his sister, causing the young girl to stir from her own slumber. "Mornin' sis."

*Yawn* She tiredly opens her eyes, "Mornin' bro." before sitting up in the bed and facing her brother, "No late night scavenging, huh?"

The boy smiles, "Nah, it's interview day. We need to be full awake and as healthy as possible if we want to make a good impression!" He rubs the back of his head, "Plus, we don't need a repeat off the time I robbed someone, and they came to adopt a kid the day after."

Liberty chuckles, before she continues, "Do you think today's the day? The day we get adopted? " Her voice fills with a child-like hope.

"Who knows? We can only dream, sis." Lincoln then turns around and stretches "Now, come on. You know the deal. First we get washed up, then we get our nice clothes on."

The girl nods, "Course bro-bro." She hops next to him, "It's been five years! We both know what to do when the parents come around!"

The boy simply chuckles. _"Of course she knows. She is my sister after all!"_ Then, with a soft smile, he looks at her, his sister. No matter what would happen today, as long as she kept smiling, the boy knows that all would be all right. _"Just gotta keep her smiling. Everything is gonna be all right."_

"Yeah, yeah." Lincoln chuckles, "Just makin' sure you remembered. After all, it's been a few months." He then grabs his towel and nice clothes, before motioning his twin to do the same, "Now come on sis, we've gotta get ready and help the others too."

"You got it bro." Liberty nods, before grabbing her own clothes and towel, and heading out of the room.

And a few minutes later, Liberty is in the shared bathroom, getting ready for the day ahead of them.

Lincoln calmly sits by the door, listening to his sister's sweet singing, " My Small Horsie! My Princess Pony, come with me, into mystery! The world around here is not what it seems! With friends all around you, we'll find all there is to know!"

The boy smiles, _"That's the spirit Liberty,"_ He closes his eyes, _"Just stay perky, and everything will be fine."_

"Hey Lincoln…" Liberty whispers, causing the boy to hop to his feet, "Yeah Liberty?"

"Could we… you know… share the tub?" She goes, her voice filling with uncertainty, "You know… to save water?"

"Ok sis." He opens the door, revealing Liberty; standing in the shower, with the only thing hiding her body is the steam.

"You know, we're gonna get too old for this one day." Lincoln takes off his clothes and gets in the tub with her.

Liberty nods, "Yeah, we will be, one day." She looks into his eyes, "But for now, it's not weird."

"Heh, always share everything." Lincoln chuckles, running his hand through his sister's soft hair as he does so, "Would you like me to brush your hair sis? It looks like you haven't done that in a while."

She nods, "Cause you're the only one who knows just how to do it right bro."

Her brother then grabs the nearby hairbrush, and begins to stroke Liberty's long, white locks as they share the shower. _"And if anyone asks, we were just doing this to save time and water…"_ He looks at his sister's soft smile and features so similar to his own, _"But… when you're in a world that doesn't understand you… you tend to latch onto whoever does… and Liberty doesn't like closed spaces that much."_

It takes them close to half an hour to finish cleaning off; though understandable given the extreme amounts of dirt they have to scrub off. After that, they dry themselves and dress themselves in their "nice clothes"; matching orange polo's that Mrs. Sherman had purchased on sale. Before giving them to the twins, she mentioned the matching shirts would make them look cuter.

"Ok, ready for this Liberty?" Lincoln forces his head through his simple orange polo.

"Yep, let's go help the others." The girl then steps out of the room; with her brother following close behind. It takes them a moment to reach the small room across the hall from their own- that of the young orphans. They quietly walk inside, careful not to awaken the two young children inside.

"Ok Stacy, it's time to wake up…" Lincoln whispers, waking the young three-year-old up. Liberty responds by doing the same with the boy she shares the room with. After that, they get them cleaned up and dressed, before they do the same with the other children. Yes, it's a slow process, but in order to increase the chances for adoption, it's necessary.

Once they finish, they send the young children downstairs for breakfast, before standing at the top of the stairs.

"Always together?" Lincoln turns to his sister with begging eyes.

"Always together." The girl repeats, returning the sentiment.

And with that, the air around the twins begins to warm up, and they descend the steps and into the main foyer.

Breakfast on interview day is quick, with both Mr. and Mrs. Sherman leaving the kids to eat without them while they add the final preparations for the perspective parents.

That leaves the older kids to serve the younger, though given that they've had this job countless times before, Lincoln and Liberty have an easy time getting it set up. And so, they serve the kids and herd them into the living room, before running to see how many people have come.

"Wow… this is more than usual." Liberty whispers, clutching Lincoln's hand as she does so.

Lincoln smiles, "No doubt some of us aren't gonna be staying her long." From what the twins can see, there are about ten couples standing by, simply waiting for their chance to meet the child or children Mrs. Sherman brought them for.

"I sure hope so…" Liberty nervously grabs her arm. Yet, Lincoln immediately puts his arm around her, "Don't worry sis, everything's gonna be all right." Then he looks around, "Now, we just have to find where Cristina is…"

"She's right there bro." Liberty points at the young, red-haired girl… who just so happens to be standing next to the doorway with her trusty clipboard in hand.

The twins turn to each other and nod, before walking over, "Mornin' Cristina."

"You're late!" She almost shouts, "Do you know how hard it is to keep things moving around her with ten kids under the age of five?!"

"Yeah, cause we just herded everyone into the living room…" Liberty looks away, almost as if ashamed.

"Ok?" Lincoln goes, "That's why we're here."

Cristina facepalms out of annoyance, "Whatever you two. The first one up is Chandler." She begins writing and mumbles, "But given his personality, I doubt he'll get very far."

"Aren't you up today, too?" Lincoln tilts his head, "You seem a bit… over exerting yourself."

"No... no one took an interest in, "She writes more notes down, no doubt hiding the pain she feels, "But don't worry about me. I can handle dealing with all this stuff like I usually do."

"And what about Lincoln and I? When are we up?" Liberty speaks up. Her body fills with a desperate desire. No doubt out of all of the children, she wants to be adopted the most… hopefully they would be able to take both her and her brother.

Cristina flips through the clipboard, "You're the last ones up." She looks at them, "That means you've got three hours to get ready."

Lincoln facepalms, "Seriously?"

"Then why are we flippin' late?!" Liberty throws her arms up in surprise.

"First, watch your language." Cristina goes, pointing her pencil at the girl as she does so, "And what's the problem? You need to direct the younger kids remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." The twins respond in unison.

"You know, I've always wondered if you had twin telepathy." Cristina shakes her head, "Whatever." She points to Lincoln, "Make sure you get the boys ready, Adrian's next."

Then she points to Liberty, "And you need to get the girl's ready, Stacy goes after him."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Liberty goes.

"And I need you to make sure everything's all right with boys." She points her pencil at Lincoln.

"Ok then." Lincoln shrugs, "No problem.

"Good luck." Then she points towards the stairs, "You know what to do." And with that, the twins salute, before turning and rushing up the stairs.

Now, getting twenty children younger than the age of nine, ready to meet a perspective parent is no easy task. After all, first they have to deal with the little balls of energy running away from them every time one of the twins tries to put them in their good clothes or give them a wash!

And yet, the duo has done this very job so many times prior that it's second nature to them. If they were not around, this would definitely not flow as easily.

The twins work harder than most, following the same rhythm as they run upstairs or into the living room, grab the called for child, make sure they're ready, and rush them over to the main officer. No doubt the system they employ took years of practice to perfect, and it shows. Once Cristina calls out a name, neither twin wastes time, and neither feels tired after each run. Good, given they do it for several hours.

 _ **Later...**_

After the younger kids finish their interviews, Cristina walks over to the twins and declares, "Ok Lincoln and Linka, it's your turn." She smiles at them, "Good luck."

"Thanks Christina" Liberty goes, while Lincoln simply nods, before they approach the main office.

"You ready for this sis?" Lincoln turns back at Liberty, a soft determination filling his face.

Liberty nods, "You know it bro." The two place their hands in each other's before both taking deep breaths and stepping inside the room.

"Ahh here they are!" Mrs. Sherman greets, motioning towards the duo as she does so, "These are Lincoln and Liberty White, the orphanage's star twins!" Her voice is filled with a motherly excitement, "Say hello you two!"

"Hello…" Liberty nervously greets, putting her hands behind her back as she does so.

"Sup." Lincoln finishes, loosening his stance."

"Hi there." The perspective father, a light-skinned man with dark brown hair, stands up and turns to the kids.

"You must be the wonderful twins Mrs. Sherman was telling us about!" The perspective mother, a young woman with light skin and soft brown hair as well,no doubt married to the man, speaks up, simply turning in her seat while the man approaches them.

Lincoln steps forward, "Yep! We're the twins 'round here!"

"That's right!" Liberty takes a shy bow. "And we're here to please!"

"From what we've heard, you two are quite the interesting characters." The man takes a knee in front of them to get a better look.

"Why don't you tell them about yourselves?" Mrs. Sherman suggests, "After all, I'm sure you two are extremely interesting!" Though, she can feel her heart race as they look at the two children.

" _Well… ok then, it couldn't hurt…"_ The young boy moves to speak, but hesitates. Holding his hand in front of him, before recoiling and rubbing his chin.

"Well, I like Princess Pony. I enjoy swimming, dancing and singing and I just love animals!" Liberty speaks up, exaggerating her motions as she does so. "I hope I can be a vet or a doctor one day!"

" _Yep… as always sis."_ Lincoln mentally adds, before he shrugs, "I'm more of an outdoorsy guy myself. I'm not really sure what I wanna do when I grow up."

"You wouldn't believe how amazing these two are! They're always helping out around the house, and they're great with children!"

Lincoln speaks up again, "I always help the little kids go to sleep!"

"And I help cook their meals!" Liberty adds, excitement filling her voice.

The twins come closer to the perspective parents, eager as ever to get adopted..

"Now kids, calm down!" Mrs. Sherman chuckles, motioning them to stand back as she does so, "They're very energetic children."

The man rubs his chin, "I see. But by the sound of it, it'll be nice to have them around."

"She's not wrong." Lincoln goes, while Liberty shrugs.

"Who's smarter?" The woman puts her hands on her sides and smiles, while she speaks with a joking tone.

Lincoln motions towards liberty, "She is, have you seen what those IQ tests said about her and her potential?!" While he thinks, _"And how little they said about my average IQ…"_

Liberty pats his back in response, "He more street smart."

"Which is why I'm the one that protects her most of the time" Lincoln pulls her into a headlock and affectionately nuggies her.

"Heh, who's older?" The man smiles, while he speaks with a joking tone.

Lincoln proudly motions towards himself and steps forward, "I am!"

"Big brother, Linky" Liberty rests her head on his shoulder.

"Little sister, Libby" Lincoln rest his head on hers, before the twins give a pseudo-hug.

"Adorable aren't they?" Mrs. Sherman leans back in her chair, silently hoping the sight of cue children would be enough to persuade the parents.

"Heh quite." The woman chuckles, while the man simply smiles, "How about we talk about some paperwork and go from there?"

"Ok children, run along now. We'll call you later." Mrs. Sherman declares, motioning them to leave with that.

The twins look at each other and nod, before turning and running outside.

The man and woman recompose themselves, while Mrs. Sherman interlocks her hands, "So, what did you think?"

The perspective parents look at each other with nervous expressions filling their faces. Yet, without a single word, Mrs. Sherman knows what they would say.

"We can only take one."

* * *

A few minutes later, the twins rest under the peach tree in the backyard, just like they were the day prior.

"Do you think it worked Liberty?" Lincoln's voice fills with worry; "I mean… we've tried that act so many times before…"

"All we can do is dream, Lincoln" she takes her brother's hand in her own as they look up into the sunset sky. "All we can do is dream."

Soft silence begins to overtake the two as they wait. Uncertainty fills their minds while fear fills their hearts.

"Do you still have your locket sis?" Lincoln finally asks.

"Yeah… I never let it go." Liberty then shoves her hand in her blouse for a moment, before pulling out a small, heart-spaded, brass locket.

Lincoln looks at the container and sighs, "Do you remember mom and dad?"

"Do wolves live in packs?" Liberty responds, giving a soft nod as she does so.

"Heh of course." Uncertainty fills Lincoln's expression as he leans back, "Do you remember the song she used to sing?"

"Yeah…" she nods.

"Stand together like we're rocks in a wall…" He starts.

"Growing stronger everyday even more." She responds, leaning up against her brother as she does so.

"Stand together in the eye of the storm and show the whole world who we are, Oh!" The boy continues, his voice filling with both energy and hope.

"Keep on walkin' to the sound of the drums, feel the fire run through our lungs!" Liberty's voice, too, fills with a life unexpected from her situation.

"Find our treasure in the light of the sun." The twins sings together, "And show the whole world who we are, oh!" Before they both break into a nostalgic laughter.

"I can't believe I still remember that." Liberty whispers.

"I can't believe it's been five years since we last heard her sing that…" Lincoln looks away.

Liberty places her hand on his cheek and turns him to face her, "Come on bro, don't be so hard on yourself!"

"Yeah… but you know it's hard to, especially when you don't even have a really home." Lincoln sighs, "Do you have dreams sis?"

"Yeah, I plan to open my own pet day care one day" She looks up into the afternoon sky, the mix of purples and blues giving the world a soft, almost hopeful gleam to it. "How about you bro?"

"I hope to..." He hesitates, "You know... I'm not sure."

"I don't know why, but I can see you being a famous author one day" Liberty smiles, leaning in closer to him.

Lincoln chuckles, "Heh, yeah, maybe." He looks out into the setting sun, its gleam now turning the sky a dark red, "Do you remember... when 'it' happened?"

"How could I forget?" Liberty looks in the same direction, tearing up as she does so "We were both there…"

"Our brother... sister...mom and dad..." Lincoln starts tearing up as well.

Instinctually, the duo pulls each other into a soft, caring hug.

"No matter what, we'll find our home, together." The boy whispers, his voice filling with a fatherly softness.

"Finding a place." Liberty smiles nods in agreement, "Together."

They hold together in that hug for seemingly hours, before Lincoln breaks it with, "Hey, I got five bucks from yesterday… wanna go get ice cream or something?"

Liberty hesitates for a moment, before smiling and nodding, "Yeah, I think I'll like that."

 _"Yeah, and it'll make the disappointment less painful when it finally does come."_ Lincoln puts on a pained smile, _"Just like the last times… just like the last times."_ The twins then stand up and walk to the nearby ice cream parlor, a quaint building with a rugged interior. To most, it'd be the symbol of a small town's unchanging nature, but to the twins, it's a symbol of cheap ice cream.

"Hey dude and dudet." the young latino man greets, "What can I get for ya?"

Lincoln steps forward, "I'd like some strawberry ice cream please!" He turns to his sister, "How about you Libs?"

"I'll take chocolate." The girl nervously responds.

"Ok then..." The young man types in the order, "That'll be five dollars."

The male twin doesn't hesitate to pay him with the five dollar he had "acquired" the previous night.

After that, the young man makes two cones filled with the ice cream and hands it over to the kids.

"Just remember, everything is gonna be all right." Lincoln licks his ice cream, while Liberty smiles and repeats, "Everything is gonna be all right."

And with that, they walk out of the parlor without another word. Though, Lincoln can swear he has seen the young man serving them also working as a security guard and a pool lifeguard.

 _ **Later…**_

"Ok, ready?" Lincoln goes as they reach the group home they've called their own for five years at this point.

"As long as I'm with you bro, I'm always ready." Liberty places her hand in his, before they walk up to the door and open it.

Immediately, the sight of a few couples already bonding with their adoptive children greets them.

"Heh." Lincoln smiles, before walking over to a young boy, one of the ones he had helped that morning, "Congrats Billy!"

The boy hugs both him and Liberty, before going, "Bye Libby and Linky!"

Lincoln looks at the new parent- a young man- and smiles, before walking away. The twins repeat the process for the rest of the kids, making sure to note what beds would need to be made later.

With that, the old director of the home steps forward, "Liberty, Lincoln, come here please!"

"Well, it's the moment of truth." Liberty looks at him in worry, "You ready bro?"

"I'm always ready." Lincoln responds, and with that, the twins stand up and walk over to Mrs. Sherman.

The old woman motions for liberty to follow, "Lincoln, why don't you wait here for a second?"

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "Ok..."

"Wait, why does Lincoln have to stay behind?" Liberty tilts her head as well, though in the opposing angle to Lincoln's.

A worried expression overtakes the old woman's face; "The perspective parents just want to talk to you alone."

 _"Oh no… does this mean what I think it means?"_ she thinks, fear filling her expression.

"Come along now, we don't wanna keep them waiting." She continues, her smile no doubt hiding pain she knew all too well.

The boy takes a deep breath, before placing a comforting hand on Liberty's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go."

"Ok bro…" Liberty nods and follows Mrs. Sherman inside.

Lincoln listens by the door.

"Hello Liberty!" The man from before greets, his voice filled with excitement "How are ya?"

"Uh, I'm fine. What's up?" She raises an eyebrow.

"We've decided who we're going to adopt." The woman continues, making sure to hold her hands together in a rather hard position.

"Shouldn't my brother be here?" Liberty tilts her head in confusion, "You're adopting him too right?"

The parents look at each other and sigh.

"Liberty." Mrs. Sherman places a soft hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry…"

Lincoln's eyes go wide, " _It… it can't be!"_

"You going to adopt both of us, right?" Liberty looks up at her, fear filling her body, "I mean, we've been together for years!"

The man takes a deep, "I'm sorry Liberty but... we're only planning on adopting you."

"What?!" Liberty shouts.

"What?!" Lincoln shouts, though no one hears him through the door.

"I'm sorry but... we can only afford to adopt one of you." The man goes.

Lincoln leans in closer.

"Bu- but I can't live without Lincoln!" Tears because to fill her eyes, "I… He's my brother!"

"And I can't live without Liberty!" Lincoln shouts, his voice now piercing the door, though only a little.

"I'm sorry." Mrs. Sherman whispers, "But..."

But nothing!" Lincoln barges into the room, determination and fear filling his body.

"Lincoln..." Mrs. Sherman whispers, a pained frown forming on her face.

"You can't just separate us!" Lincoln shouts, flaring his arms as he does so.

Liberty nods in agreement, "Yeah! We've been together since we were born!"

The room goes silent for a moment, as the couple looks between each other, to the director, and then to Liberty. The mother then spoke up. "Liberty, honey, we're sorry, you're brother seems nice, but..." she began.

The man finishes, "We can't afford to take care of both of you..."

Liberty can feel her heart break, while Lincoln can feel his sister's pain as his heart begins to break as well.

"I'm sorry." The director goes.

Pained tears begin to roll down the girl's cheeks, while the boy hardens himself.

"Now Lincoln..." The director goes, "You know people want to adopt her…"

"Oh, and am I, chopped liver?!" Lincoln shouts.

"Now Lincoln, calm down." The director orders, "You know people wanted to adopt you too but..."

"I'll calm down when Liberty reconsiders this! And if she leaves, I'll… I'll-" His eyes fill with tears, "I don't know what I'd do!"

" _Knowing him… he'd go out and try to find me."_ Liberty grabs hold of Lincoln's hand.

The director's husband steps forward, causing a warm, commanding air to overtake the room, "Lincoln, you have to calm down"

Lincoln breathes heavily, a fire fueled rage burns in his eyes as he glares at everyone except Liberty.

The man places his hand on the boy's shoulder, immediately filling him with a child-like serenity, "I know this is painful. But we have to do what's best for Liberty." He looks the boy in the eyes, "You want what's best for her, right?"

"I... but... It's not fair!" Lincoln said tearfully.

"Life is strange Lincoln. Things may seem strange and unfair... but it may be for the best." The man responds… remorse, fills his voice, "You… you two have been here for five years…"

"Please don't separate us..." Liberty whispers, throwing her arms around her brother as she does so, "Yes, we've been here for five years but… but…"

"Liberty..." Lincoln whispers her name as she wraps her arms around his waist. He then turns his head towards the couple. "Why do you wanna take my sister?" he asks with a skeptical glare.

The perspective father responds, "We want to have a child of our own." He looks upon the girl's white hair, "And we want to give her a better life."

"Why can't you-" Lincoln starts.

"That doesn't matter right now." The man continues, his voice too filling with regret, "We just want to give her a better life."

"How about you guys take care of her and I watch over her like an angel then!" Lincoln stares the man in the eyes, his voice filling with his desperate plea.

"I'm sorry son, we can only take care of one child right now." His wife calmly answers.

"Then how about live in the attic or basement eating rats?" He continues, his determined voice filling with fear.

"I'm sorry, that would qualify as child abuse." The man responds;

"Watching her from the shadows?" He suggests, clutching Liberty even tighter than before.

"Now that just sounds creepy." The man goes, before giving a pained sigh, "I'm sorry, but we can't take you."

"If you can take Liberty, you can take me!" Lincoln shouts, flailing his free arm as he does so.

"Now son, I'm sorry, but we just can't afford it." The man places a hand on his shoulder, "We're new to this parent idea and we don't want to push too far. I'm sorry…" He looks away a shameful expression appearing on his face, "But we can't afford to take care of you both."

Lincoln then breaks their hug and looks around quickly, his heart racing, before he grabs a soccer ball, "Umm, I can play sports!" Then he tries to kick the ball… only for it to fly passed the woman and hit a nearby painting, causing it to fall to the floor. Then he turns and grabs a nearby piece of paper and grabs and scribbles down some random numbers, "I'm smart, I can uhh…"

The man takes a knee and holds Lincoln by both shoulders, "I'm sorry. As much as I would want to take both of you, my wife and I can only afford to take one of you in at the moment." He looks the young boy in eyes and continues, his fatherly voice filling with care. "You care for your sister right?"

Lincoln nods, a soft air filled with pain forming around him. "With all my heart."

The man takes in a deep breath. He had not been a legally registered parent for longer than ten minutes at this point, and yet he was being forced to break a young child's heart! Maybe that is why Lincoln and Liberty had not been adopted, despite being in the home for so long.

"I promise you, that if I can afford to adopt you later, I will. But at the moment, it'll be too much of a burden on us. We're new to this and we don't want to have our hands too full before we're ready for anything."

For a moment, Lincoln considers lashing out, releasing the pain building in his chest. Liberty is his twin sister. They had lived through everything together! And suddenly, this man stands before him with nothing more than a few papers standing between him keeping the last piece of his family.

"You want your sister to be happy don't you?" He continues, his voice filling with a fatherly care, while he leans in closer, "You know she's not happy here. She wants to go. And as much as she doesn't want to show it, leaving you behind is just as painful." He looks the young boy in the eyes with that, "I promise I'll take good care of her Lincoln. I need you to stay strong for her."

The realization begins to dawn on him. Everything they were saying, no doubt feels true. Lincoln's thoughts begin to race. Ever since they were children, he had taken the role as her protector, yet he had always relied on her for everything. Liberty could cook, and yet she is only ten years old. She could clean, do the laundry, she could even provide basic first aid! Heck, if memory serves him right, she is the second most trusted child behind Cristina!

 _"It's true... I want her to be happy."_ And so, with that thought in mind, Lincoln nods, before turning to his twin with tear-filled eyes. _"She deserves better... Better than anything I could ever give her. She's smarter than me, she'll succeed at everything she does."_

Wordlessly, the siblings fall into each other's arms, desperate for the moment not to end.

"So… I guess this is goodbye…" Lincoln whispers, Liberty holding on to her brother tightly, "You take care of yourself sis." The young boy's eyes fill with tears once more, as he holds onto her sister tighter, "You're going to do great things sis. You deserve more."

"But Lincoln…" She responds, "You're great! You, you took care of everything! I, I can't…"

Lincoln breaks their hug with, "I need you to stay strong. Please Liberty, stay strong for me." The boy begs, trying to hold it together, and yet finding himself crying into her shoulder as she did too.

"Remember that song?" Lincoln asks, his voice becoming more desperate. "You know? The last one mom sang?"

Liberty whispers, "Yeah bro, I remember."

"How did it start?" Lincoln asks, "Summer in the hills?"

"Those hazy days are to remember." Liberty continues, a nostalgic and hopeful air forming around the twins as she does so.

"We… we were runnin' still." Lincoln tears up more, while his voice fills with pain.

"Had the whole world at our feet." Liberty pulls Lincoln in tighter.

"Watchin' seasons change, all roads were lined with adventure." Lincoln's voice fills with hope.

"Mountains in the way, but didn't keep us from the sea." Liberty goes, she too strengthening their embrace.

"Here we stand up in arms." Lincoln starts.

"This is home, where we are." Liberty ends.

"Ever strong, in the world that we made." They sing together.

And with a loving and nostalgic tone, they finish, "I still hear you in the breeze, see your shadows in the trees, holding on, memories, never change."

The twins break down in tears with that, before finally breaking their embrace.

"You're going to do great things Liberty." Lincoln assures, looking into his sister's eyes once more, "I just know you will."

Liberty nods, "You too bro." Then, she moves her hands around her neck and unlatches a familiar hook, revealing the brass, heart-shaped locket. "Here, take it."

"Your locket?" Lincoln goes, before taking the object in his hands, "I- I couldn't…"

With pleading eyes, Liberty places it in his hand, and pushes it closed, "Take it, please… You need it more than me."

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before clutching the brass container, "Ok..." Then, he hugs his sister once more. And with that, she walks over to her new parents, secures the bag she was given to go with, and nods, before taking her new father's hand in her own and walking away. She looks back at her brother one, final time, "Bye Lincoln, I promise I'll see you again."

She makes sure to wave goodbye before she leaves.

Lincoln waves goodbye in response, before clutching the locket once more. _"Good… goodbye sis…"_

A few, short minutes pass with that, with Liberty quickly packing the few trinkets she had collected over the years, before Mr. Sherman whispers something to her. After that, she leaves the home and drives off.

Leaving Lincoln to watch her go.

"Lincoln…" Mrs. Sherman walks over, and moves her hand closer to him, "Are you…"

Lincoln's hopeful smile fades with that, leaving nothing but a lifeless frown on the young boy's face, before he walks away, speaking with a lifeless tone, "I'm going to sleep."

Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Sherman chooses to object to the child's decision.

9 23-15-14-4-5-18 23-8-25 20-8-5-25 19-21-14-7 13-15-14-15-4-25.

 **A/N Before anyone flags me for using music, TheFatRat songs: "Monody", "Unity", and "The Calling" are copyright free. Also, credit for song lyrics goes to him. And don't worry, from what I've already written, I doubt I'll need to put this disclaimer up again.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed, and have a great Spring Break if it's that time of year for you! See ya guys in 1-2 weeks! I thank Wolvenstrom and Exotos for ideas, and Sunblast-X for helping me write some scenes! Also, I thank Mr. Dusk for pointing out flaws with the first chapter! Edits are complete! Also, opinions on this? I feel like the pacing was off and that I skipped too much.**


	3. Finding A Guide

**A/N Wow you guys really like this story, I'm glad! I thank everyone who has reviewed so far!**

 **Also, since I can't personally thank guest reviewers and respond like I do to members, I'll leave responses at the end of every chapter. I thank you all for your support!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Three: Finding A Guide

The young boy finds himself standing before the burning wreckage once, his body fighting the heavy pull of Gravity as he forces himself towards the flames once more. "I gotta save her... I have to save my sister!"

"Liberty!" His voice cuts through the afternoon chaos, while his desperate footsteps echo against the hard concrete.

And yet, despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins, even he is unable to continue for long. After all, for every step forward he takes, he is pulled back two.

"Liberty!" He shouts once more, his young les finally giving out from exhaustion.

"Lincoln!" The girl weakly shouts, her tired gaze falling upon her brother, "Help!"

"I-I'm coming!" The boy counters, forcing himself to his feet as he does so... and yet, his knees buckle, causing him to fall to the ground in defeat.

"Linky?" The young girl whispers, the games beginning to touch her delicate face.

"No… Libby!" Lincoln reaches out for her in a last-ditch effort to get to her, and yet his exhaustion finally catches up to him.

"Lincoln!" Is all the girl can shout as the flames engulf her body.

"G'ahh!" Lincoln shouts have he jolts awake. He pants in exhaustion for a moment, looking around his now, own room frantically as he does so. "It... it was... a dream?" His gaze falls upon the spot his younger sibling would usually rest. "It wasn't..." His fearful expression turns lifeless once more, as a single tear begins to roll down his cheek.

And with that, he look down, turns, and gets out of the bed.

* * *

Another day dawns upon the small town of Royal Woods, as if the events of the night prior had held no weight in this, small, part of the world.

*Knock* *Knock* the room door goes, causing an old woman to stir from her slumber.

"Ugh…" She groans, "Michael, who could that be?" Mrs. Sherman tiredly opens her eyes and turns in her shared bed.

The man next to her snores, prompting the old woman to shake him, "Michael, wake up!"

"Ugh, what is it Alice?" The old man groans.

"Someone's at the door." She answers, sitting up as she does so, "Do you wanna check it, or should I?" She looks to her side, her eyes falling upon the analog clock nearby.

Michael calmly responds, "Alice, I went to sleep at three AM making sure Lincoln didn't try to run after Liberty. I think I'm too tired to answer a door."

A moment of silence passes between the two lovers.

"...You could've just said you didn't want to get up ya know." She whispers, before tiredly forcing herself out of the bed and walking over to the door. Her room is small, though given its status as the master bedroom it is the largest room in the house. The walls are decorated with the numerous portraits of adopted children and whatever gifts they would send her… the ones that she couldn't give to the children.

*Yawn* "Let's see what the damage is." She takes hold of the doorknob, before opening the barrier with, "Hello! What-" She looks in surprise for a moment, before her gaze falls down, upon a young girl, tiredly clutching her maroon blanket, "Stacy? What are you doing down here?"

"L-Lincoln and Liberty weren't there when we woke up…" The four-year-old fearfully responds.

 _"He wasn't there?!"_ For a moment, Mrs. Sherman looks on in surprise. Usually, Lincoln and Liberty would wake up early to get the little kids ready for the day. Even when it was just one of them going at it, they would usually get it done before breakfast.

The old woman takes a deep breath, before rubbing the young girl's head and smiling, "Don't worry, Lincoln's just tired is all. He did have quite the night after all." While she thinks, "Given what happened to Liberty… I wouldn't be surprised if he were still in bed." She takes a knee in front of the child, "Why don't you go back to your room and I'll go get him, ok?"

Stacy nods, before turning and quickly making her way back up the stairs.

Mrs. Sherman takes another deep breath, _"Ok Lincoln, you better not be out doing what I think you're doing."_ She carefully climbs up the home's steps and takes a peek into the room of the remaining twin. _"He's not here?!"_ she quickly enters the room and looks around, yet her search proves fruitless. _"If he's not here…"_ She sighs, _"He probably went out to raid fridges again."_

She grabs the bridge of her nose as she walks out of the room and shouts, "Cristina!"

Immediately, the redhead rushes out of her room and stands before Mrs. Sherman at a pseudo-attention, "Yes Ma'am?!"

"Do you know where Lincoln is? He's not in his room and he hasn't helped the young ones get ready for the day." She puts her hands on her hips.

Cristina rushes back into her room and runs back out carrying her trusty clipboard, "Well, according to my notes, he never mentioned being anywhere…" She looks away from the clipboard, "Though, I did receive a note asking that a list of chores be delivered to him… maybe Liberty getting adopted may have something to do with his current whereabouts."

Mrs. Sherman sighs, "Don't tell me…"

"I think he may have run off to look for her…" Cristina finishes, putting the clipboard down as she does so.

"I told you not to tell me." The old woman takes in a deep breath, before motioning towards her, "Cristina, I need you to help the children get ready ok? I'll go start breakfast, and if Lincoln isn't back by then, I'll make the police report."

Cristina nods and rushes to her temporary post.

"Dangit Lincoln…" She thinks as she heads downstairs and walks over to the kitchen door, "Why of all days, you had to disappear today?!" She takes hold of the door and opens it… only to reveal Lincoln running between the kitchen and dining table.

"Uhh, Lincoln, what are you doing?" The director tilts her head in confusion.

Lincoln doesn't answer, too focused on the task at hand to care.

"Lincoln!" She shouts. "What are you doing?!"

Immediately, the boy stops and turns to her in surprise, "Huh?"

Mrs. Sherman sighs, "What are you doing Lincoln?" her voice is filled with a motherly care.

"I'm just doin' some chores is all." He calmly responds, before motioning toward the, now empty sink, "I've cleaned out the sink, set up the table, organized the fridge and cleaned out all the closets."

The old woman steps over and looks into the boy's exhausted eyes, "Did you sleep last night?"

"Of course I did! Why would you ask something like that?!" He crosses his arms defensively.

"Because you have bags under your eyes." She nonchalantly answers, motioning towards the black spots.

Immediately, Lincoln turns around, "So what? I was up late and woke up early! I'm fine!"

"No, he's not." The director hesitates for a moment. It was painful to see siblings separated, especially if the other had to stay behind. Now, Mrs. Sherman would always mention being numb to the feeling, passing it off as doing what was necessary to give the children the best lives possible, but even she knows, she's just lying to herself. "Lincoln…" She leans closer to him, "You're not ok…"

"Yes I am." The boy simply nods, before walking away, "I'll do some stuff I guess."

The director lets a deep breath out and turns to the cleaned table, "He's doing Liberty's chores…"

Lincoln walks out of the kitchen with that, allowing the director to begin preparing breakfast for the remaining six orphans under her care.

 **A few hours later…**

Lincoln calmly walks into his room, its wood now sparkling from the hand polishing that the boy had just done, "There, nice and clean, just like… she would've wanted it." He sighs.

"Hey Lincoln." The lone redhead of the orphans steps into the room.

The boy immediately turns to face her, "Huh? Oh, hey Cristina."

"You ok?" She raises her clipboard.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He responds.

The girl sighs, "Just… you just lost-"

"Don't mention her." Lincoln looks away, before grabbing a bed sheet and fixing its slightly off orientation.

Cristina hesitates her next words, "Someone you're close to."

Lincoln's silence is all she needs to know to continue.

"And, well, you don't seem too torn up about it…" She finishes, flipping through the pages as she does so.

"That's because I'm not." Lincoln replies coldly, "Liberty's a prodigy because a test said so. I'm nothing more than her stupid brother." He turns and looks her in the eyes, "So care to tell me why I should care?"

"Well… we all expected you to go out and try to find her or something like that." Cristina answers, "After all, it does seem like something you'd do."

"Well you thought wrong." The boy proceeds to dust off some of the trinkets the twins had scattered around the room, "I have accepted that I'll probably never see her again, and that I probs will never get adopted or find my own place to be."

"Now Lincoln-"

"What Cristina?" he angrily cuts her off, "You, as well as I, know that the older you get the less likely we'll get adopted!" He looks away and continues working, "I've been here for five years! You came four years ago! We'll never find our home. This is where we belong."

"Lincoln…" Cristina starts.

"Did you get me the chore list at least?" The boy cuts her off once more.

Cristina nods, "Yeah…" She unclips a page from the wooden pad and hands it to him, "By the looks of it, you did most of the chores in the house… all that's left is the yards."

"Thanks." The boy takes the paper and walks out of the room leaving Cristina, now sporting a worried expression, behind.

* * *

A few minutes later, Lincoln is down in the orphanage backyard, picking up the trash that had accumulated over the years. There isn't much of course, but there's just enough to constitute a small job, and for Lincoln, that's more than enough to get his mind off... her.

"Just keep doing this Lincoln, just keep doing this Lincoln." He mentally repeats, before bringing the trash bag inside the home, and grabbing a manual lawnmower. "Just gotta do this. It'll take a while, but it'll work." And without hesitation, he walks back outside and begins to tend to the old, wild grass.

"Yo Lincoln." A familiar voice calls out, though, the young boy doesn't respond, choosing instead to continue on his way.

Chandler grimaces in annoyance, "Yo!" He grabs the boy's shoulder, "I'm talkin' to ya!"

Lincoln responds by throwing his hand off and turning around, "What do you want Chandler?" his voice is filled with a soft anger.

For a moment, Chandler considers insulting him- kicking a kid when he's already down. Yet, he relents, sighs and speaks, "Look, I heard what happened to Liberty and well... I'm sorry."

Rage fills Lincoln's body. Chandler? Being sorry? This has to be a lie! " _What's he up to… he's never sorry."_ Lincoln's mind races with the numerous possibilities.

"And well I-" He rubs the back of his head and looks away

Yet, before anyone realizes it, Lincoln's fist makes contact with Chandler's face, causing the slightly younger boy to fall to the ground in shock.

"Don't mention her. Ever." Lincoln spits out, anger filling his expression.

Chandler looks up in surprise, "What the heck man?!"

"Never mention Liberty ever again. Or so help me I will not hesitate to force this stick up your rear end!" Lincoln's face turns red with anger, "Got that you- you thing!"

For a moment Chandler hesitates, torn between laughter and anger. Yet… rather than mess with the boy, he takes a deep breath and nods, before simply walking away, knowingly.

And with that, Lincoln returns to his self-imposed work, after all, there isn't much he could do without being reminded of the one he had lost.

 **Later…**

After an entire day of work, though Lincoln would argue that it just wasn't long enough, the young boy falls on his bed- with the day's numerous tasks completed for the time being.

And yet, just a few feet away, the orphanage director stands outside the room, worry filling her expression. "I can't let him go on like this…" She places her hand on the room door. She whispers, "I have to talk to him. I can't stand by and…"

The moment she pushes the door slightly, a cold air fills the hallway, urging all present to stay away. Yet, she shakes her head and pushes passed it, opening the door just a bit more, before a warm hand falls upon her shoulder. She quietly turns, and comes face-to-face with the man she had married all those years ago.

"Michael?" She whispers, slight confusion filling, "What are you doin' here?"

"Alice, you know this isn't something you can help him with." A commanding air overtakes the hallway, as the mom gazes into his wife's eyes, a begging strength emanating from them.

For a moment, the woman stands silent, trying to think of a way to argue her case, and yet… cannot find the words to do so. She sighs in defeat, "Do you think it's time you had the… 'Talk' with him?" Her voice is filled with the sound of a defeat mother.

Michael nods, his body tensing up, as if he were standing at attention.

"But don't you…" Alice's eyes go wide while her voice is filled with a quiet surprise.

Yet, he doesn't let her finish before nodding again.

"Do you really think it'll help him?" Alice turns and worriedly peaks through the small crack in the room door. Her eyes fall upon the young, white-haired boy simply lying on his bed. "I mean… I don't think what you usually tell the kids before they leave would apply here… would it?"

"Yes." Michael whispers, his voice unwavering before the woman.

"Very well." Alice sighs in defeat once more, "I suppose… it would be good to…"

Michael places his finger over her lips, and instinctually, Mrs. Sherman quiets down and steps aside.

The man stands at attention for a moment, mentally preparing himself for what he is about to do, before he slowly steps forward, and opens the room door.

Immediately, the cold room fills with an unknown heat; the frosty air losing its pained touch. "Hello Lincoln."

Lincoln doesn't react, choosing instead to remain curled up as he cries into the pillow both he and his sister had shared for all these years.

"Hello Lincoln." The old man repeats, his voice filling with a father-like calmness. "How are you doing?"

Immediately, Lincoln turns to face him, "Whatdayya want?" His voice is filled with the pain of loss. From what the man can see, the nice polo shirt that he was only to wear for interviews was now slightly torn, no doubt from the excessive amount of work he just completed. The bags under his eyes are telling of just how much sleep he had last night.

Without hesitation he answers, "I've come to talk." He takes a seat on the, now unoccupied, second bed. "After all, a nice talk would be nice."

Instead of giving an answer, the young boy rolls over and stares at the adjacent wall.

"How are you feeling?" The man continues; his voice, unwavering against the boy's hardened expression, "I suppose you're tired because of all the chores you decided to do today."

"If this is about me punching Chandler, I don't care." Lincoln declares, his voice gaining a harsh anger to it.

Yet, Mr. Sherman remains unfazed, "Don't worry Lincoln. From what I've seen him do, he has been asking for that punch for a long time now."

Lincoln turns slightly towards him in surprise.

"So, I'll ask again, how are ya feeling?" The man leans in closer, softening his expression and voice as he does so.

A calm air fills the room while Lincoln hesitates his answer, and yet, Mr. Sherman simply sits by patiently; no doubt he has done this before.

The young boy turns to face the man slowly, his heart filling with uncertainty. Instead of his typical long sleeved business attire, the man wears a simple short-sleeved shirt, with worn blue jeans for pants. Lincoln can feel a soft pride emanate from him, filling the room.

Lincoln takes a deep breath, and forces himself up, causing him to sit up on the bed, "If you're here to talk about what happened last night, you might as well go." He looks away, tears slowly beginning to fill his eyes, "I don't wanna talk about… her."

"Neither do I." Mr. Sherman's voice doesn't change, while he holds his hands together, "I just want to know," his voice softens, "How are you feeling?"

Lincoln hesitates again, "I don't know…"

"Of course." Michael sighs, looking away as he does so "Things just changed too quickly and you're not sure how to cope with it, right?"

"Yeah…" Lincoln whispers, looking up at the man as he does so, "Why… why do I feel so… calm when he's around?"

The man pats the spot next to him, "Why don't you take a seat next to me? It'll make it easier for us to talk."

The young boy looks upon the former resting place of his sister and shakes his head, "No… I'd rather not."

"Yes, of course, I understand." Michael places his hand over his chest, "I understand. Loss is not easy to get passed."

"Why are you here?" Lincoln finally mutters, looking away as he does so, "Did Ms. Sherman send you in?"

Mr. Sherman shakes his head, "No." His expression fills with a soft care, "I simply came because you need someone to talk to." He motions towards him, "And given your current state, I believe I have come at a good time."

Lincoln lies back down, "You don't know what I'm feeling right now."

"There it is." Michael smiles internally, as he stands up. Normally, when one hears something along those lines, it's safe to assume that a teenager is nearby, most likely having a fit over some worthless and inconsequential issue. And yet, Mr. Sherman knows exactly what those words mean, especially when uttered by an orphan.

He takes a seat next to the young boy, "Of course I don't. I'm not gonna lie and say I do."

Immediately, Lincoln looks to the man with a skeptical gaze, "Really?"

He nods, "I learned a while ago that, well, no one really knows exactly what someone else feels at times like this." He looks down, "I just came to ask, 'how are you feeling' and 'what do you know about me'?"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before answering. "I know you were a soldier… and that you met Ms. Sherman when you were that…"

"Heh, you've been here for five years and yet, you know so little about me." He chuckles, "But I guess I can't blame you, I never tell anyone what I've been through"

"What're you getting at?" Lincoln's voice fills with confusion as he leans up.

"Are you not curious about the man who has been funding this place and working as a surrogate father for orphans such as yourself?" Michael looks at Lincoln with a soft, fatherly care.

"To be honest… not really. I've had more important things to deal with…" Lincoln answers, sitting up and slouching as he does so. "You know… dealing with her…" He clutches the locket.

"Of course…" He loosens his body while hesitating, trying to think of a way to begin. And yet, the words fail him… for a moment at least, "You know, those actions movies you love to watch? They just love to glorify lies."

"What?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

"War isn't the action-filled drama TV makes it out to be." He chuckles, "Far from it actually."

Lincoln looks up in curiosity, "Go on…"

"I fought in Vietnam in the 70's. Met my wife, the director, there." He motions with his hands, "Before that, I was stationed by the border between countries. There was a lot of fightin' goin' on back then..."

"And?" Lincoln finds his curiosity fading just as quickly as it has arrived.

"It's hard to stay sane when a trap could kill ya at any moment." He looks away, before pulling out a small picture, depicting the man with a squad of his friends, no doubt ready for the battles about to occur, "But through it all, I had a friend, my brother."

"Yeah and?" Lincoln looks away, choosing to dig his face into his pillow, "What happened to him?"

"Not sure. He got captured on our last mission." He takes a deep breath, "The last thing I saw of him was those Vietcong pulling him away." The man begins to tear up, "I wanted to save him, but one of my squad mates pulled me away before I could try..." the old man let's out a pained sigh," He never came home on one of the POW Planes."

Off putting is the first word that comes to the young boy's mind. The director's husband, a stoic, man of few words sits next to him, showing an emotion other than stern grace. "Before he… left, no matter what happened, he would always tell me to chin up." His voice grows sullen, "Because even if we wouldn't see each other in this life, we'd see each other in the next."

Lincoln remains silent, unsure of just how to respond.

Michael sighs, before turning to face him, "Lincoln, before someone leaves I always tell them the words my brother said to me every day, and now I tell them to you. 'Life is strange; you'll end up places you never expect. You will do things you don't completely understand. Just remember that you always have a home here. And when you find where you belong, feel free to come and visit'." He looks the boy in the eyes, "Keep going, no matter what, and you will find the person you are destined to become."

"Thanks…" Lincoln goes, a soft hope filling his voice, "Maybe… maybe I can do something… even without Liberty around…"

Mr. Sherman then stands up and glances at the young boy one final time, noting the confusion filling the latter's expression, "Oh, and before you go, make sure to tuck in Stacy, you know she can't fall asleep without her bedtime story.

"I… I will." Lincoln quietly responds, knowing exactly what he means, _"But… I should wait to go find her… I belong here. I have to take care of the kids... what do I do?!"_

"Good." He nods, before silently walking out of the room.

Lincoln hops to his feet and takes a deep breathe, "Well, here I go." He slowly walks into the nearby hallway and takes it in. The orphanage at night seems just like an ordinary home, and yet, it seems so different than one.

He quietly steps into the room next door. Here, he finds the young Stacy as well as two other, young children that weren't lucky enough to get adopted the day prior. "They'll get used to the rejections eventually..."

"Hey Stacy." Lincoln calmly greets.

"Lincoln!" She yells, before running over and hugging the boy.

"Haha, I missed you too Stacy." He calmly lifts her up and places her in her small bed, "I missed you too."

"Are you here to read me a bedtime story?" she nervously asks.

Lincoln nods as he kneels down next to her, "Yeah, now close your eyes, and I'll tell you it."

She complies, and after a moment of thought, he begins his story, "Once upon a time a king and a queen ruled over a beautiful kingdom with grace and niceness." His voice fills with a soft pain, "All seemed calm, as if nothing could ever tear the two apart."

Stacy smiles at the thought.

His voice goes low, "But one day the queen was taken from her king!"

The young child's eyes go wide in surprise, "No!"

"Yes." Lincoln nods, "And so, the king called upon all of his guards to find her, but alas, none could do so." He looks away, "For the evil witch had locked her in the tower, and only he could unlock it!"

He notices Stacy's eyes slowly get heavy; the young girl slowly being taken in by the night around her. "What happened next Lincoln?"

Lincoln smiles, "And so, to find her, he had to go out and fight all the evils of the world. And he did this so that they could be reunited! Yet in order to do so, he had to leave the kingdom behind for a bit." He rubs her head, "But don't worry, the king promised that he would return with his queen one day, or die trying." He hesitates for a moment, "Though unsure of his choice, he still set out with the promise to return. The end"

And with that, the young child falls asleep, clutching the stuffed animal she holds so dear.

"Mission accomplished Sherman." The young boy sighs, before turning and walking out of the room, turning off the light as he does so. "I need to find Liberty… yeah, she's only been gone for one day… but I know I can't go on without her..."

He glances back into the room, his soft gaze falling upon the children, "But… I can't go after her." He sighs, clutching the locket as he does so, _"I… I have too many things to do here. I can't leave. Not yet… maybe never…"_ And yet, Sherman's knowing words echo in his mind, as if the old man had accepted Lincoln's next course of action and was prepared to follow through with whatever was necessary.

 _"I'll just… spend another night doing what I must to make life easier."_ He sighs, before walking into his room. After a few minutes later, he quietly descends the orphanage stairs once more, before he leaves the place he had known as his home for the past five years.

Though, just as he does so, it begins to rain.

 **A few minutes later…**

Just as he had done countless times prior, Lincoln searches the nearby neighborhoods for those houses with unlocked backdoors- though careful as to not hit the same house twice. Given the frequency of his raids, this was no easy feat. Yet, eventually, he manages to find a home, who's owners left him a way to enter, and just like before, he walks inside and over to the fridge.

"Just gotta do what I gotta do." Lincoln mutters as he files through another fridge, "I just gotta stay calm. I can't let them suffer because Liberty's gone… it's a good thing she taught me how to cook all that time ago."

He sighs, "Find where you belong? Become the person you're destined to be? Yeah… like that'll ever happen to me." Before looking back into the fridge, "I'll just stay an orphan forever…" He fights the tears, "Without… her…"

"Mister?" A soft voice goes. "Why are you in our fridge?"

"Dangit." He thinks, before calmly turning around, "Hey there." His eyes fall upon a young, brown-haired girl with soft white eyes. "I was just getting food so…" he responds, while his frantic thoughts shout, "Dangit! You were so busy thinking you forgot to be quiet!" He finishes, "...orphans wouldn't go hungry tomorrow."

The young girl tilts her head in curiosity, "Orphans?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, orphans." Then he takes a knee in front of her, "You see, some kids don't have a mom or a dad, and those that take care of them can't give them much to eat." He quickly looks around, "But people don't like it when I do this."

The young girl clutches her stuffed animal and nods, "Ok…"

"But, I still I go out and get them food." He finishes, before sighing, "Plus, I hope I can find what I lost too…"

"Huh…" She smiles, "You're like Robin Hood then!" her voice gains a soft joy to it, "You take from the rich and give to the needy!"

The boy chuckles, "Heh, I guess I am." He rubs her head, "No, I'm just a thief and a filthy orphan."

The young girl then walks over to a nearby cabinet and pulls out a small candy bar, which she then hands over, "Can you give this to them?" Her voice fills with a cute care.

"She's… just like Liberty…" Lincoln smiles, "I promise."

"Why do you look sad?" The girl continues, continuing to tilt her head.

Lincoln hesitates, before letting his voice go low, "I just lost something I loved. And I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry mister." She calmly goes, "You'll find what you're looking for soon! I just know it!"

"Thanks." Lincoln then stands up and looks away, gazing into the stormy night.

"My mama always says that when things aren't going your way. Going out and trying to do it will help you." The girl continues, her naivety beaming in her voice.

"Heh, thanks for the advice…" He whispers, his heart racing, "Maybe… maybe she's right… after all, just staying around in the orphanage till I'm old enough to move out will never help me find her!" He then clutches his bag, "Thanks." And with that, he walks out of the home, a newfound courage filling his body, "I will find her."

"Bye mister…" The girl goes, watching the white-haired boy walk out… while another woman enters the kitchen.

"Now honey! What are you doing raiding the fridge this late?!" The young girl's mother picks up and cradles her.

"I was talking to a boy with white hair!" She responds, causing her mother to chuckle.

"Heh, I see your imagination is acting up again." The mother than brings the young girl upstairs. "Let's put you to bed, now shall we?"

 **Meanwhile…**

"Man, I love rain practice!" A young, brown-haired girl with her hair tired up in a ponytail rushes down the park path, "Though, dad's definitely gonna be annoyed when I get home."

Her body is covered by a soft, plastic raincoat- no doubt perfect for whatever activities she had tried to do. "Now I just have to get there."

"Liberty!" A voice calls out, its tone filled with desperation, "Where are you?!"

"What the heck?" She banks right and turns down a stone path, "What was that?"

"Liberty!" The voice goes again.

"There is was again…" She thinks, running over the park bridge as she does so, "Should I…" She shakes her head, "Bad idea Lynn, it's probably a trap."

"Where are you sis?!" The voice shouts, more fear filling its tone.

Lynn stops and looks around for a moment, "Ok… where the heck is that coming from?" Her eyes then fall upon a young, white-haired boy dressed in casual wear… without a raincoat or protection of any kind.

"Hey kid!" She shouts, "You ok?"

Immediately, the boy turns to face her, "Liberty?"

She runs over and continues, "What the heck are you doin' out here kid? It's rainin' and you don't have a coat!"

"You're not Liberty…" He whispers, before answering, "I'm looking for someone." He looks away and shouts, "Liberty?!"

*Boom* A thunderbolt roars.

"Kid… it's not a good idea to stay out here too long." Lynn grabs his arm, "It's raining and you don't have a coat."

"No." He coldly responds, throwing her arm "Not until I find her!"

"Who?!" Lynn shouts, grabbing his arm again, "I highly doubt that they'd want you to get sick from being in the rain too long!"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment… only for Lynn to continue.

"Ya know what, how about we talk about this somewhere else? I know a place where we can hide out the storm, come on!" She then pulls him over to a nearby building, decorated with a simple blue and white sign that reads 24-Hour Deli.

* * *

"Uhh… where are we?" Lincoln looks around the store in awe. It has been weeks since he last visited a market of any kind.

The girl rings her ponytail out, "A deli. Now, why don't you tell me what you were doin' and who-"

That's when Lincoln's stomach growls.

"What the?" She turns to face the boy, "When was the last time you ate, kid?"

"This morning." Lincoln answers, shrugging as he does so, "I was busy doing chores and stuff."

She tilts her head, "What about lunch mate?"

"I was, uhh… too busy to eat." Lincoln looks away.

The girl raises an eyebrow, "You must've had a ton of chores then, huh?"

"...Let's just say I've had a lot of family issues lately." Lincoln looks away, "I was doing chores to get my mind off them."

"Ok then…" Lynn shrugs, "I guess it must've been important…" Before she looks away awkwardly, "Well, uhh, do you know who you're lookin' for?"

"I'm looking for my sister…" He sighs his response, "We got separated and-"

"Don't worry kid, I understand. Do you know where she is?" The girl cuts him off and waves her hand in front of him.

"No." He shakes his head.

"Wait…" Lynn's eyes go wide, "You're lookin' for your sister and don't even know where she is?" She tilts her head and leans closer to him.

Lincoln sighs, "It's stupid I know."

"No it's not!" Lynn slams her hand against a nearby table, causing the deli owner to start shouting random gibberish in a foreign language.

"Really?" Lincoln perks up.

"Course not!" She responds, "I would never give up looking my sisters if they ever got lost!"

The boy smiles, "Thanks…"

"I'm Lynn. Kid, you don't know where she is, but you're just go out in the dead of night looking for her? Yeah, I'll admit it's pretty hardheaded of you. Not stupid though." She looks at him with understanding eyes, "Though, isn't there someone else who needs you?"

"Not really…" His voice goes slightly off. "I'm Lincoln."

"Well Lincoln… if you don't mind me askin', what happened?" Lynn's voice fills with concern.

"I do mind." He shakes his head.

"Well…" Lynn rubs the back of her head, "I can't let you keep going out in the rain lookin' mate. Is your house close by? I'm sure I could walk you home."

Lincoln sighs, "I live at 2775 Neptune Avenue."

"Kid, that's on the other side of town…" Her eyes go wide in surprise. "How long were you out in the rain?"

"Yeah, I know." Lincoln responds. "I've been out for like… two hours or something… I guess I lost track of time or something."

 _"Dad's really gonna be annoyed."_ Lynn sighs, "How about this, come and spend the night at my place. Then you can at least go home not hungry. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."

For a moment, Lincoln hesitates, unsure of whether or not to go along with the idea.

"Plus, I'm sure my sisters and I could help you find your sister later." She continues. "Plus... I could give you cookies there. We could use my coat as a cover for both of us.

He considers ignoring her offer, _"I have to look for her…"_ Yet, he simply sighs and nods, "Ok. I'll go with you."

And with that, they go out into the stormy night.

"19-8-5-'19 13-25 19-9-19-20-5-18, 13-25 2-5-19-20 6-18-9-5-14-4, 13-25 19-15-21-12 13-1-20-5,1-14-4 20-8-5 2-5-19-20 16-1-18-20 15-6 13-5." ~21-14-11-14-15-23-14

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! This chapter wasn't too hard to write given the one with Mr. Sherman was one of the scenes that inspired this fic in the first place!**

 **By the way, I was going through some old files and I found the original idea for this story! So I'll talk about it a bit... if you guys want.**

 **As always, I thank Wolvenstrom and Exotos135 for ideas, Sunblast-X for helping me write some scenes, and everyone who has supported me so far! Thanks! In other news, "Unwavering Bonds" is officially off Hiatus!**

 **Guest: I'm sorry for your loss mate, I hope you're doin' all right.**

 **Dragontitan: The rest of the story is planned out, but I can't promise anything. Maybe she will, maybe she won't.**


	4. Finding A Place

**A/N Hey guys! I'm here with the next chapter! Spring Break is over and I am currently preparing for the end of my first year at college! I have no idea how I managed to finish this in a week, but I don't care!**

 **R &R**

Chapter 4: Finding A Place

*Boom* Thunder cracks across the sky over the rainy town of Royal Woods. Surprisingly enough however, the moon is able to glow through the storm, illuminating the shadowy path ahead for two young children.

"Come on Lincoln!" The young Lynn shouts, her voice booming with excitement as she rushes along, her new companion following close behind.

"I'm trying!" Lincoln holds onto a corner of Lynn's plastic raincoat; the duo holding it over their heads as a makeshift rain cover. "But you're not making this easy Lynn! I'm getting soaked back here!"

The young girl smiles and glances back, "Don't worry about getting wet kid! Getting wet is what's fun about playin' in the rain!" She looks ahead and keeps running.

"More like how you get sick!" Lincoln shouts. _"But… that's how she…"_ His mind wanders for a moment. Lynn's soft brown hair turns white for a moment, while her red and white shirt turns a faded orange. Slowly, the world around them begins to shift as well, with the clean sidewalk ahead slowly filling with cracks.

"Come on! Let's play Lincoln!" A familiar voice calls out, the young girl's sprint soon devolving into a soft skip, with her looking up to the watery heavens above. "Come on, the water feels great!"

"I'm ok Libby." Lincoln stops his run; choosing instead to hold up the small, purple umbrella that had appeared in his left hand.

Liberty runs over and grabs his free arm, "Lincoln! You're always such a killjoy! Come on! A little rain couldn't hurt!" The girl then pulls him forward, "Come on!"

"I don't wanna!" Lincoln whines, pulling back against his sister. "You know I don't like getting wet!"

"If you're gonna get anywhere, you've gotta get out of your comfort zone!" The girl pulls on his arm even more, trying to get the boy to move from the cover of the umbrella.

"Libby!" Lincoln looks away and pulls harder in response.

Suddenly, an idea comes to the young girl, and a sinister smile forms on her face, "Ok then, if I can't bring the rain to you, I'll bring you to the rain!"

"What the heck are you even talking about sis?" Lincoln closes his eyes, desperately trying to pull back against his sister's iron grip.

Quickly, the young girl pulls harder than before, causing Lincoln to recoil just as hard. "And release!" Liberty shouts, as she lets go her brother causing him to stumble back, slip, and fall into a nearby puddle. "G'ahh!" the boy shouts, as his rear end ends up submerged in a deeper-than-expected pool of water, while the umbrella goes flying off in the wind, "No! The umbrella!"

"Haha! Well, that takes care of that!" Liberty throws her head back in laughter, before extending her arm out to him, "Now that you're all wet too, would you like to play in the rain with me?"

For a moment, the young boy looks at his sister's beaming face, and hesitates. _"No… we could get sick Lincoln, you gotta take her home!"_

"Don't be such a Debbie downer!" Liberty gives a soft, reassuring smile, "We'll be fine! After all, we've been through way worse!"

" _You know what… screw it. If she's happy, what's the worst that could happen?"_ Lincoln chuckles and grabs her hand. "Sure sis, sure…" And with that, the two children run out and simply dance in the rain, their warm bodies moving around each other like stars flying around the earth, while their soft, white hair glows in the spring moonlight.

"Lincoln!" Lynn shouts, snapping the boy back to reality, "You ok kid?"

Immediately, the young boy flinches and darts his eyes for a moment, "Huh, what?"

"You phased out." She stops and turns to face him, make sure that what little could fit under their cover, was under their cover. "You stopped running and looked like something was botherin' ya."

"Oh…" He looks down, taking note of his now soaking clothes. His voice fills with regret, "… Sorry Lynn, I just uhh… thinkin' of something."

His companion tilts her head in curiosity and leans forward, "About what, Lincoln?"

"It's nothing." Lincoln quickly shakes his head and steps closer to the young woman, "Let's just get to your place so I can get a ride home, ok?"

For a moment, Lynn hesitates, _"I should ask him… nah… that's not a good idea. Plus, you just met him!"_ Her rough expression softens, while her stiff body loosens up, "You sure you don't wanna talk about it and stuff? My sisters-"

"Please don't mention sisters." Lincoln cuts her off, looking into her eyes with a begging gaze, "Please."

"…My siblings…" Lynn continues, Lincoln's downcast, but unchanging expression is all she needs for confirmation, "Always say that when something's on your mind, it helps to spill… you sure there's nothing you wanna talk about?"

The boy shakes his head, before grabbing onto his portion of their shared jacket, "Yeah, I'm fine… let's just get to your house." He quickly looks around the intersection they had stopped at. Various homes of every shape and size seem to stretch as far as the eye can see, in every direction, "So uhh… which way is it?"

Lynn motions him forward, "Don't worry kid, we're almost there. We're just a hop, skip and a jump away!" She then offers her hand to him, "Want me to hold onto ya while we run? Ya know, just in case you phase out again?"

Lincoln looks at her beaming face for a moment. Her soft smile and hair glowing in the moonlight. For a moment, he can swear that her soft expression becomes more familiar, while her hair changes once more. Yet, this time he simply shakes his head ad slaps the hand away and responds, "No. I'm fine."

A look of genuine concern overtakes the young woman for a moment, before she simply shrugs, "Ok then kid, come on. Let's go!" And with that thought in mind, the duo continues down the seemingly endless roads of the Royal Wood Suburbs.

Though, eventually, Lynn banks right, down a seemingly random street. And stops after a few more minutes of running, allowing the boy following her to finally catch his breath.

*Pant* "How can you run so fast?!" He tiredly asks, holding his knees as he does so.

"What can I say, I plan to become a pro athlete one day. Anyways," She motions towards the small house in front of her. From what he can see, its white exterior was peeling off from age, while the dark blue roof, as well as the lawn and the nearby tree are littered with random trinkets. "We're here! This is my home, why don't ya come inside?!"

The old man's words echo in the boy's mind, " _K_ _eep going, no matter what…_ " He immediately pushes the thought behind him, "Sure." Though his voice trails off when his eyes fall upon a random girl Playing in the mud with a dog and a cat.

Lynn quickly steps onto the stone path that leads to the door, "Don't mind Lana there, she loves playin' the mud."

"Ok…" The boy carefully follows the girl as they make their way to the front door. _"Well this is an interesting why to end up in a home…"_

A few moments after that, the duo stands before the red entrance to the home; the girl makes sure to wring out her ponytail, while the boy does his best to do the same to his shirt.

Lincoln's body fills with fear, _"What if I tried to rob this house earlier? What'll happen if someone recognizes me… what if…"_ He quickly shakes his head.

"Something botherin' ya kid?" Lynn finishes wringing out her shirt with that.

The boy shakes his head again, "Nope! Let's uhh, just go inside and get everything set up, ok?"

The girl puts her hands in front of him, motioning for the boy to stop, "Cool it kid. Before we go in, I gotta warn ya." She chuckles while talking in a joking tone, "My family is a bit on the… louder side." She playfully nudges the boy, "Think you can handle it?"

" _Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret going with this girl?"_ Lincoln takes in a deep breath, _"And why the heck did I let her talk me into this?"_ and lets it out with that, "Whatever, I've probably had to deal with worse. Let's go." He softens his gaze, "How bad can it be anyway?" While he thinks, _"I'm probably going to regret this right about now."_

Lynn chuckles, "You're gonna see right now." Before she quickly unlocks her front door, and pushes it open… taking the doorknob with her. "Heh, oops." She holds the broken handle in her hand for a moment, before awkwardly rubbing the back of her head, "Well uhh… that was unexpected."

"Yeah… I can see that." Lincoln can't help but chuckle.

"Anyways…" She steps inside the home and tosses the handle onto the nearby coffee table, "Come on in."

" _Last chance Lincoln… you can just turn around and go back to looking for Liberty."_ He glances back at the stormy night behind him, and grabs his arm in nervousness, _"Well… I guess a ride home wouldn't hurt…"_ He sighs once more, and wordlessly follows the young woman into her home.

Immediately, his ears arm bombarded by the random sounds of her family's seemingly random activities… not that Lincoln knows what they are after all.

"So uhh… I guess you weren't kidding when you said they'd be loud, huh?" Lincoln can't help but look around in a stunned confusion as he takes in the scene around him. From what he could see, the living room is small, with a flat screen TV in front of one of the windows he had seen outside, as well as a couch and two side chairs in front of it. And from what he could see, a young woman with blonde hair texts away while reclining on it.

" _So I guess they're really that loud huh… the only one here is her and I can hear them all…"_ Lincoln nervously darts his head around, _"And so far, so good. This house doesn't seem too familiar… if I did rob this place, I probably did it a while back."_

"What'd ya think Linc?" Lynn throws her arms out in excitement, "Come on, I'm all ears!"

"I think you have a nice place here." The boy smiles, though he doesn't let go of his nervous arm, _"Yeah, it's better than any home I'll be allowed to have…"_

"Heh, thanks." Lynn smiles, before motioning towards the blonde girl reclining on the sofa, "Anyways, that's Lori. She's my oldest sister. The others, as you can hear, should be around." She then steps passed the couches and into the room behind them, "But you'll probably meet them later. I'll go talk to my parents about gettin' ya home."

" _Home… the orphanage…"_ He puts on a small smile, "Sure, thanks Lynn."

And with that, the young Lynn runs into the room behind the couch.

" _Welp, I guess it'll be a good idea to say this search for Liberty has failed miserably…"_ He takes a deep breath, _"Well… at least I don't have to worry about getting soaked in the rain or something…"_ He then simply stands by, taking in the room around him… silently planning on how he would sneak some snacks from them.

And so, a few moments pass, before Lynn runs back out of the room and shouts, "Come on, my parents wanna meet ya!"

"Ok then." Lincoln quickly follows, taking a quick note of the young woman as he walks inside the small room.

Immediately, he finds himself standing in the middle of small, pink bedroom, with random decorations and trinkets placed by the resident woman scattered around the walls and dressers.

"Hello there!" The man cheerfully walks around the bed and approaches the two children, while the woman simply smiles, choosing to stay where she stands."

"Well mom and dad!" Lynn cheerfully greets, pulling Lincoln over as she does so, "This is the boy I was tellin' ya about!"

The smiles for a moment, before looking down at Lincoln, scrutinizing him with a caring eye, "So this the boy you were telling us about?" He tilts his head in curiosity, "He looks a little young for ya, don't ya think?"

Lynn's face goes red in embarrassment, "What dad?! No!" She quickly holds her hands up defensively, "I found this kid out in the rain and I was wondering if you guys could call his parents or something… or give him some food cause he's hungry!"

"Uhh… hi there." Lincoln nervously waves his hand in front of them.

"Oh…" The woman responds, "Ok then." She steps over to the young boy and comes even closer to him then the man did. "What is your name?"

A nervous air overtakes the room with that, as the young boy steps back defensively and answers with a weak tone, "L-Lincoln."

"There's no need to be nervous son." The man, Lincoln assumes to be Lynn's father steps back and motions for his wife to do the same, "I apologize if we scared you a bit, we love new visitors! We'll call your parents so they can pick you up. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Lincoln hesitates, before shaking his head, "No thanks, I'm all right…" though, he can feel his heart crack slightly.

"Very well then." The mother whispers in a slightly saddened tone. "How about you tell me your parent's phone number?"

Almost instinctively, Lincoln responds, "989-555-5555… ask for Mr. Sherman."

"Ok then…" The man quickly pulls out his phone and types. A few moments pass, the phone ringing in hopes that someone would pick up… and yet, no one does, causing the unprepared answering machine the Shermans never had time to set up, to answer the call, "I'm sorry, but the person you reached is not available, please leave a message and hang up."

The man doesn't hesitate to respond, "Hey there, we have uhh… Lincoln here. We were wondering if you could come pick him up. Please call me back at 989-555-4376." Before he hangs up and shoves the phone back in its receiver.

"So… he didn't pick up?" Lincoln tilts his head.

"Nope." The man shakes his head, "Where do you live? Maybe we could drive you home."

Again, Lincoln responds, "2775 Neptune Avenue."

"That's on the other side of town…" The woman looks at her husband in worry for a moment, "Do you think it's a good idea honey?"

The man shakes his head, "No, not at all. That's just begging for an accident." He rubs his chin for a moment, "How about you stay for the night and I drive you home in the morning?"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before letting out a deep breath, _"Well… I've screwed up looking for her already… and I guess waiting here for the night couldn't hurt… No, I have to find my sister."_ Before he looks up and the man and woman, "No thanks… I just rather go home."

"Well ok then." The man thinks for a moment, "How about I call the cops and they can-"

"You know what." Lincoln cuts him off, doing his best to maintain the calm demeanor, "On second thought, I'd love to stay. You sure you don't mind me staying?"

"Not at all." The woman replies, "I'm sure one of our daughters could set something up for to sleep on tonight."

Lynn then shouts, "How about I show him around then?!"

"That could work, go ahead Lynn Jr." The man goes, no doubt named Lynn as well.

Lincoln nods, "Ok then, thanks…" Before he turns around and steps out of the parent's room.

"He seems interesting, doesn't he, Rita?" Lynn Sr. quips, "Imagine what having a boy around would be like…" His voice gains a soft, hopeful tone, as he looks up in daydream.

Rita looks away, "Yes he does dear, but you know what the doctor said about me, you and conceiving boys."

"Yeah…" Lynn Sr. simply sighs. "I love our daughters, but sometimes, it would be nice to have a son, ya know."

"...I should get dinner ready now…" Rita responds, though instead she simply sits next to her husband.

* * *

Lynn then shows him the living room, "This is where we do most of our living! The living room!" She yawns, "Anyways, why don't you look around, my sisters are around here somewhere."

"You're not giving me a tour?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

"Course not. I just said that so my dad wouldn't introduce you to his golf club collection." She chuckles, before walking over to the stairs, "If you need me, I'll be in my room, ok?" And with that, she simply walks up the stairs, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Well… she was abrupt." He quips, before letting his arms go limp, _"Almost reminds me of… her…"_ The young boy then quietly walks into the kitchen, and approaches the fridge, _"Well… I guess if I'm stuck here for the night, I might as well do what I do best…"_ He reaches for the fridge handle… only for a voice to go, "Hey there!"

Immediately, Lincoln jumps and turns to face the source, "Huh, who, where, what?!" And immediately, he comes face-to-face with a young woman wearing a simple white shirt and plaid yellow skirt, as well as a small pink flower over her breast pocket

"I'm Luan!" She declares, before leaning in and flicking his hair, "Do I make ya nervous? You look scared white!"

Lincoln stands by for a moment, unsure of whether or not to laugh or to just groan from the horrible pun. So, instead he puts on a pained smile and gives a fake chuckle, "Haha, yeah, I'm scared white. I'm Lincoln!"

Luan laughs in response, "Haha! I'm glad you enjoyed!" She then motions towards the flower she has on her shirt, "How about you smell my flower too?"

"Uhh… sure." Lincoln hesitates, before leaning in… only to receive a burst of water straight to the face.

The young woman throws her head back in laughter, "I can't believe you fell for that Lincoln! That's one of the oldest tricks in the book!" She wipes a tear from her eye, "Anyways, I guess I'll leave ya alone for now. Man, Lynn's right, you are a good boy to have as a boyfriend!"

"I'm not her-" He starts, though she had already walked away before he could finish. Wordlessly, he wipes the water from his face, _"Well… she seemed like some sort of comedian…just like Liberty tried to be one time…"_ A memory of his twin's horrible attempts at comedy echo as he walks away from the fridge…leaving it untouched for the first time in years. "Well… I've met three sisters…" He takes a deep breath, _"Just gotta stay calm. So what if they keep reminding you of Liberty? Everything's gonna be fine!"_

"Mom!" A young, feminine voice calls out, before a young girl, dressed in a light-blue shirt and dark blue overalls kicks open the front door and runs inside, carrying a small pile of mud, "You gotta see my mud pie! It's extra squishy this time!" Though, before she can continue her run, her excited gaze falls upon a certain white-haired boy.

"Uhh… hi there." Lincoln nervously greets.

"Hey there mister!" She runs over to him, and holds a small pile of mud up to him, "Wanna see my mud pie?!"

"Uhh… sure…" Lincoln awkwardly goes, causing the young girl to push it closer, allowing him to take it in his hands and get a better look, _"Wow… this isn't that bad actually… it's a shame Liberty would've hated it…"_

"So what do ya think?!" Her voice fills with anticipation, "I worked on with Cliff and Charles for an hour!"

" _She reminds me of the kids really."_ Lincoln gives a nostalgic smile, "It has a nice shape, great texture and really nice look. I think it's a great mud pie!" He then hands the pile of gooey soil back to the young girl. "You gotta show your parents!"

"Really?!" She takes the pile and smiles, "Thanks mister!" Then she tilts her head, "What's your name? I'm Lana!"

"I'm Lincoln." The young boy affectionately rubs the young girl's hair

"I gotta show mom and dad!" She declares, before running passed him and into the room with her parents waiting.

" _She seemed nice…"_ He thinks, before turning around… only to come face-to-face with another girl… though this one looks exactly like Lana, save for the pageant gown.

"What the…" Her voice fills with anger as she clenches her fists "Who are you, and why are you here?!"

"Uhh… Lana…" He points at her, "Didn't you just run in there to your parents the mud pies?" He motions towards the parent's room, "And uhh… what's with the princess outfit?"

"Uhh, what?!" She looks at him in both shock and annoyance for a moment, before clenching her fists and gritting her teeth, "Don't you dare mistake me for my sister!" She flares her arms up in anger, "Especially if you don't want something bad happening to you or the things you love!" She raises her fist and motions towards herself, "I'm Lola! Lo-La! Don't forget it."

" _Liberty was way worse when she was angry."_ Lincoln simply crosses his arms and stares at the young girl, "You done yet?"

Lola's tough attitude breaks with that, her eyes going wide in shock, "You're not afraid?!"

The boy shrugs, "Meh, I've seen better tantrums is all." He chuckles, "You're getting too mad, it makes your threats seem more empty."

The young girl simply grits her teeth, before turning and walking up the stairs.

A few feet away, Lori looks up from her phone, suddenly interested in the young boy Lynn had brought home with her. She carefully stands up, and despite the mounting curiosity she feels, she quietly walks passed him, choosing instead to continue texting her new boyfriend.

"Well, I guess Lori's not much of a talker." He shrugs, before rubbing his chin, "I wonder why she looks so familiar though…"

"She was probably at the park the other day." A soft, monotone voice greets, causing the young boy to jump away in fear.

"G'ahh!" He screams in fear as he turns to face the source: a young, black-haired girl wearing a black dress. "What the heck?! Where'd you come from?!"

Without missing a beat, the young girl answers, "I come from the abyss." She chuckles, "Hello there."

"Seriously?" Lincoln rolls his eyes, "Yeah right, and I'm an assassin sent to kill the girl that knows too much."

Lucy speaks with a monotone heat, as if the next words she says were no doubt sincere, "I hope to meet the souls of those you have slain one day." She gives a soft smile, contrasting with her Gothic appearance, "I'm sure they have great stories."

Lincoln raises his hands defensively, "Uhh… that was a joke you… uhh… spooky Goth girl."

"A shame, but I suppose it can't be helped." She leans closer to him and rubs her chin, "Hmm, you don't seem to be from around here."

"Yeah, I'm uhh…" Lincoln hesitates, "I'm just visiting until my parents come to pick me up and stuff… Your uhh, sister Lynn brought me here." His voice fills with an unsure embarrassment, as he steps back in fear, causing him to walk into the nearby fridge.

"What a shame. I guess you're the boy Lynn promised that she'd bring home for us to meet one day…" The Goth looks away, "You seem cute."

Immediately, Lincoln's face goes red in embarrassment, "No I'm not! I'm not cute!" Though he thinks, _"The only time I was ever cute was when I was trying to get adopted with Liberty…"_

"I'm sorry about that…" Her voice fills with remorse, "I'm Lucy by the way."

" _With a voice like that, I can't tell if she's joking or being serious…"_ He rubs the back of his head awkwardly, "Uhh… thanks?"

"Hmm… interesting…" Lucy leans in even closer to him.

"Uhh, what?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

The young girl looks into the older boy's eyes for a moment, gazing into the blackness of his pupils, before she flatly declares, "I sense a great sadness within you… and pain, lot's of pain."

"Look, I don't know who you are really, but uhh…" Lincoln tries to push her away, "You really seem to be creeping me-"

"You were separated from someone you were extremely close to, recently." The young girl continues.

The look of confused affirmation is all Lucy needs to confirm her suspicions. "If you're wondering how I know, the spirits told me."

"Well I-" Yet, before Lincoln can finish, Lucy simply disappears from sight, almost as if she was never there. He takes a deep breath, "Spooky girl…"

He then simply shrugs, "Well, since I'm here, I might as well…" He turns to the fridge and approaches it with an outstretched hand. _"Do what I do best…"_ And yet, when he is mere inches away from the handle, he hesitates. His eyes soften while he can feel his determination drain from his arm. _"No… not now… these two were nice enough to let me stay the night… I couldn't rob them right after their kindness…"_ He clutches the locket held around his neck, _"Liberty wouldn't be able to look at me if I-"_

"Hi there!" A young woman with blond hair, wearing a long, turquoise dress walks into the kitchen, her beaming smile immediately warming up the room, "Like, I've never seen you around here before!"

"Huh, oh hi there." Lincoln turns to the girl, and immediately, she grabs his shoulders and picks him up as if he were a baby, "What the?!"

"You're so cute!" She pulls him into a tight hug, "I could just dress you up!"

"Let go of me!" Lincoln shouts in fear. Yet, no one comes to his aid. _"Dangit!"_

Suddenly, an idea comes to the young woman, causing her to snap her fingers, "I know! You can try out my new dress!"

"Wait, what?!" The boy's heart races in fear, "Why?!"

"I love making dresses, and you're the perfect size to be a model!" She then carries him up the home's stairs and into the first room on the left, where Lori is still texting away, not noticing the girl nor the boy she had brought up with her. "So will ya help me out?!"

Lincoln shakes his head, "No! I'd rather practice kissing than try on a dress!"

The young woman smiles, "Really?! I don't know who you are, but you're so nice!" She then leans in, as if expecting the boy to respond with the same.

" _Something tells me she's not the smartest tool around here."_ Lincoln steps back and holds his arms up defensively, "You know what, I'll just try on the dress."

"Really?!" The young woman's voice fills with cheer, before she turns, grabs a nearby set of clothes and hands it to the boy. After that, the young woman smiles at the boy.

" _Worst idea I've ever had."_ Lincoln thinks, before he walks behind a nearby changing rack and swaps his orange shirt and blue pants for the clothes the woman had asked him to model. And after a few moments, he walks out, now wearing an orange dress and accompanying blue skirt.

"You look great in that thing!" she declares, before walking over and adjusting her handiwork, "What do you think?"

Immediately, Lincoln's face goes red in embarrassment, "Shut up!"

"Aww, why?" She her gaze falls downcast for a moment, before immediately perking back up as she snaps her fingers, "I know, you wanna try on more dresses right?!"

" _Liberty loved dresses…"_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before closing his eyes, shaking his head and declaring, "No! I'm a boy!"

"Well, you pass oddly well for a girl!" The young girl smiles, as she continues to adjust the dress.

" _Yeah… people've said Liberty and I looked alike…"_ He looks away, the aching feeling he had been pushing down for the past day suddenly resurfacing.

"I'm Leni." She cheerfully declares

"And I'm Lincoln." The boy responds, his voice still filled with sadness, "Please-"

*Boom!*

"What the heck was that?!" Lincoln shouts in surprise.

Leni shrugs, "Why don't you go to check it out? I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy it!"

" _Well, it's not like I'm doin' anything important anyways."_ Lincoln sighs, "Ok then, I'll go see…" And with that, he walks passed the changing rack once more, and swaps out the clothes Leni had made him model for the soaked clothes he had arrived in; before he walks out of the room… only to find scorch marks outside one of the doors, _"Well, I guess I know where that explosion came from…"_ He chuckles for a moment, before approaching the epicenter and peeking, only to find a young girl with brown hair and a green sweater standing in front of a metal table, a mess of random chemicals sprawled across it.

"Dangit." She whispers as she waves away nearby dust.

"Uhh… what was that?" Lincoln pushes his way into the room, and motions towards the girl" And why does it look like you're only three-years-old?"

"That's because I am three-years-old." She motions towards the broken test tubes, "As for the cause of the explosion, my invention failed to control a reaction."

"Uhh… are you sure it's a good idea to have a three-year-old dealing with hazardous chemicals?" Lincoln looks around the room for a moment, surprisingly enough, despite the small explosion, nothing seemed to be damaged save for the random scorch marks outside the door. Heck, even the little girl that had caused it seemed to have come out unscathed!

"Just because I'm a 3-year-old doesn't mean I can't handle theoretical physics. My name is Lisa Loud. I have a masters in theoretical physics, and am currently working on my doctorate, or PHD as it is more often referred to as." She motions towards the numerous awards hanging on the walls.

Lincoln hesitates for a moment; desperately trying to hold the painful memories back… only for the sound of a baby crying to snap him out of it.

*Wahh!*

"Hmm?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow as he gazes upon a young, blonde-haired baby resting in her crib. He smiles and steps closer, before reaching out to touch her. "Aw, it's ok, little one..."

Immediately, the baby laughs at the sight of the boy, "Poo-poo!" Before giving him a raspberry.

"That's Lily." Lisa goes, "She's three months old."

"And a cute one at that" Lincoln tickles her belly, "And" he gives her a raspberry in response, "To you too."

Lisa adjusts her glasses and continues, "As I was saying, are you the boy my elder sister Lynn said she would bring home?"

Lincoln turns to the young scientist, "Uhh no… I'm Lincoln, she just brought me home and your parents said I could stay the night."

"I see." She continues, "And may I have your name?"

"Lincoln." He calmly responds, "I'm Lincoln."

"Well, Lincoln, for what's good for ya, I suggest you leave the premises and go home." She looks away, "It's hard to get an rest around here when twelve family members are working to do whatever random things they can conceive at the same time."

*Ring!* A sound echoes for a moment.

"For example, I believe my sister Luna has begun her nightly music session in the garage." Lisa finishes.

"Oh…" Lincoln looks away and begins to step over to the door.

Lisa's voice remains monotone as she finishes, "If you want to meet her, the basement access is in the dining room."

Lincoln looks at the scientist and shrugs, "Thanks."

"No problem." The young girl responds, and with that, the young boy walks out of the room, _"Now…where to go next…"_ He rubs the back of his head for a moment, contemplating where to go next, _"Hmm… maybe I could-"_

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" Rita shouts, her voice echoing through the home as if its walls were made of paper.

" _Well… I guess that answers my question."_ Lincoln chuckles, before quietly walking down the house's stairs.

"Well Lincoln, feel free to sit at the table." Rita motions towards the dining room, "We'll join ya in a few, ok?"

The boy nods, "Ok then…" And he walks over to the table and takes his seat. A few minutes pass, and the entire family take their seats at the one, oversized table the family owns. Lincoln sits at the head, opposite the family patriarch.

With everyone seated, Rita starts, "Well kids, before we eat today, I want to introduce you to our guest, Lincoln!"

Lincoln awkwardly waves his hand, "Hi there."

"He was literally walking around mom." Lori cuts in, continuing to text as she does so, "We all probably met him already."

"I didn't!" A young woman dressed in a purple shirt with torn sleeves as well as a purple skirt, stands up and greets, "I'm Luna!" while she thinks, _"I wonder why he looks so familiar."_

"Settle down girls." Their father commands, "Now, I know you-"

"You have nice hair. It makes you look totes adorbes!" Leni speaks up, her voice filling with a naive cheerfulness.

"You're the boy that mistook me for Lana!" Lola shouts, before leaning closer to him, "So are you the boy Lynn said she had a crush on?"

Immediately Lucy, Lynn and Lincoln's faces go red in embarrassment.

"No!" Lincoln frantically waves his arms defensively. "I'm not! I'm just uhh…" His voice trails off in embarrassment.

"Wow, this must be a **crushing** experience for you! Haha! Get it?" Luan quips, causing everyone, except for her father- who laughed at joke- and Lincoln- who was too busy trying to stammer out his response-, to groan in annoyance.

That's when Lana hops on top of her twin and asks, "Hey, since you're not the girl Lynn likes, is there a girl you like?"

"Uhh…" Lincoln's face turns even redder, _"This got really personal, really quickly."_ He stammers more, "Well uhh… I don't uhh…" suddenly, images of Cristina pop into the young boy's mind, causing him to shake his head, "Nope! I have no crushes!"

Their mother then cuts off their swarming, "Now girls, don't tease him so much. He's our guest, and he's only a child. I don't think he's worried about that stuff yet." She turns to the boy, "Am I right?"

Lincoln nods in affirmation. "Yeah…"

"Well then, why don't ya tell us about yourself, Lincoln?" The woman's husband speaks with a calm tone, "After all, since you're staying the night, it'd be nice to get an idea of just who you are."

The boy begins to shake ever so slightly, fear filling his body, "Well, uhh, sure… what do you want to know?"

"Where did your sister go?!" Lynn shouts, her voice filling with excitement and curiosity.

"Well uhh… let's just say she's very far away." Lincoln shudders in fear, tensing his body up as he does so, _"I can't let them find out the truth… I just can't."_

Lynn tilts her head, as if silently pondering whether or not to continue asking the young boy questions. Though, luckily for Lincoln, the next sister speaks up.

"So how'd you meet Lynn?" Luna asks, her voice filled a soft nonchalance, "And why do I feel like I've seen you before?"

"We met outside in the rain, nuff' said. And what do you mean by the second one?" Lincoln nervously responds, though his voice wouldn't hint at that.

"Nothing…" Luna rubs the back of her head, "I just thought I saw you before and stuff."

"Well by the sound of it, you two had one heck of a shower! You two lovebirds!" Luan throws her head back in laughter, eliciting a similar response from before.

"Please be quiet!" Lincoln begs, his eyes falling upon the comedian of a sister.

"Whoa, easy there kid." Lynn motions for him to calm down. "It was just a joke. It's kinda her thing."

Lincoln lets out a deep breath, "Oh… ok then…"

Suddenly, Lucy appears, holding a small book, "Hello there."

"G'ahh!" The family, and Lincoln, goes before calming down.

"Uhh, hey there Lucy." Lincoln nervously responds.

Lucy looks down at the book and blushes, "Would you uhh... like to see my grave collection?"

"Grave collection?" Lincoln tilts his head in both confusion and curiosity, "What's that?

Lucy nods, before opening the small, black book, revealing page after page of photos of people's graves. "Yeah! I have an entire collection of photos!"

"Uhh…" Lincoln leans away nervously, unsure of just how to respond to this sister's activity.

Lori then speaks up, "Don't mind her, she's just our spooky sister." She doesn't bother looking up from her phone.

"Ok then…" Lincoln adjusts himself in the chair once more, "So, uhh… any other questions?"

"Why were you out in the rain?" Rita asks her voice filling with a motherly concern. "What happened to your sister that you started looking for her?"

"Uh, well it's… I was … she well…" He takes a deep breath, "Let's just say I was out there for personal reasons..." Lincoln looks away, while rubbing the back of his head once more.

Lynn Sr. raises an eyebrow, "Would mind sharing? I mean, if it's important we could make some-"

And yet, Lincoln simply holds his hand up, motioning for him to stop, "Really, it's fine. I was out there for a really personal reason…"

"Very well." Lynn Sr. goes, "Girls, since Lincoln is going to be staying the night, I'm gonna need you to find a spare pillow and blanket for him."

"I'll do it! It's the least I can do for the little cutie!" Leni leans over and pinches Lincoln's cheeks affectionately.

Lincoln responds by pushing her away, "Thanks Leni."

"No problem!" The young woman responds.

And with that, the family and their guest get to eating their meal.

 _ **A few hours later…**_

Soft moonlight filters into the, now dark, living room. Falling upon the young boy just as it had done countless nights before. Luckily for him, the Living room couch was too hard, and the girls were able to find him a spare blanket to sleep with… not that it made the night any more bearable for him.

Rather then drifting off to the land of dreams he so desired, Lincoln simply stares at the ceiling above him. For a moment, he considers trying his luck getting back to the orphanage in the rain… only to immediately push that thought to the back of his mind, _"No, bad idea Lincoln…"_ He sighs, turns and gets on his own feet.

" _I guess it'd be a good idea to take some stuff from them… Not too much or else they'd notice…"_ His body trembles for a moment, his knees shiver, while he can feel his arms tense up. _"For the kids… for the kids…""_ He then, quietly, walks over to the nearby fridge, and slowly opens it up; revealing the mess that is the Loud Family's food stock.

Usually, when pulling one of his raids, Lincoln would find going through his target's fridges rather easy- given that most were simply organized with the more used and replaced items in front for the easy pickings, but not this time.

"Dangit…" he whispers, before digging into the pile, _"At least they're all asleep, right? Yeah, that makes sense. I won't have to worry about anyone-"_

*Yawn* a young woman goes.

" _Double dangit."_ Lincoln quickly looks around for a moment, before jumping into his hiding spot.

The young girl wears a simple purple nightgown with a weird, triple triangle symbol and the name "Machinae Supremacy" scrawled under it. She yawns again, before scratching her back, flipping the light switch and quickly scanning the kitchen. She smacks her lips and quietly walks over the fridge. "Gotta get some pudding…" And opens the door, only to come face-to-face with their guest.

"Hey Lincoln." She tiredly greets, "You mind passing some of the pudding over?"

"Sure…" He quickly turns his body in the fridge and grabs a brown container, "Is this it?"

"Yep, thanks." She takes the snack from him and closes the fridge. Without another word, she turns causing her gaze to fall upon the empty bed her guest had been sleeping on. Suddenly, her eyes go wide, and she turns around sharply, reopening the fridge with that, "Lincoln! What are you doing here?!"

"I uhh…" He stammers, before holding his hands up at his sides for plausibility, "I like sleeping in fridges?"

The young woman stares at him for a moment, before helping him down from his perch and continuing, "Lincoln, I of all people can figure out when someone's lying." She stands up straight and looks down into his brown eyes, "So please, tell me the truth." She crosses her arms.

For a moment, Lincoln considers lying to her, saying that he got spooked in some way and decided to hide in the fridge, yet even he realized that that excuse made no sense whatsoever. And so, he simply sighs, "I was… going through your fridge."

"Well if you wanted to get a snack why not just come to us in the first place?" The young woman asks, before taking out another packet pudding and handing it to the boy. "Here you go, that should be enough for a midnight snack, but once you finish I want you back to sleep, okay?"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before nodding, "Thanks, uhh…"

"Luna." She responds, "I'm Luna."

"Luna… thanks." The young boy smiles.

Suddenly, a thought comes to Luna; her eyes go wide, "Now I remember!" She cheerfully declares, before looking at the boy.

"Uhh, what are you talking about?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

Luna smiles, "I remember seeing you at the park with your sister!" She rubs the back of her head, "Where is she anyway?"

"She's around and stuff." He nervously answers.

"Heh, you two seemed pretty close last time I saw ya." She chuckles, and squats down to his height, "Would you mind tellin' me where she is, or is that too personal?"

Lincoln hesitates yet again, almost as if considering telling her what had happened. How he was an orphan because of an accident he had no control over. And about the dreams he is having because she had left him. And yet, he finds himself unable to articulate what he would like to say, choosing instead to answer, "We got separated…"

"That's a shame." Luna's voice fills with motherly softness, "How? Maybe I can-" She starts, but stops when she finally notices the expression Lincoln had shifted to.

The boy tenses up, the memory of what had happened just the night prior burns in his mind. He fights the urge to lash out, to tell Luna to shut up, go to sleep and never mention his sister ever again… and yet, he finds himself unable to even speak. He loosens up and looks at the young woman in front of him.

"You ok kid?" She finally goes, breaking him from his trance.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine…" He replies, grabbing his arm as he does so.

However, Luna doesn't buy his act. Opting to grab him by the shoulders and look into his eyes with a begging gaze, "Look, I know we just met and stuff, but… if something's on your mind, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Lincoln's heart races in fear, _"I shouldn't… no I can't… no one understands."_ His body speaks while his mind can only listen.

"We got separated… please, let's leave it at that." The young boy can't help but begin to shed a tear with that.

"Ok." Luna stands back up and walks over to the nearby coffee maker, "Wanna talk, kid? It seems you've got a lot on your mind tonight."

Despite ever nerve in his body screaming at him to deny her request, he responds, "Sure Luna… sure…"

"Want some cocoa?" Luna begins warming up a small, white mug with the letter "L" engraved on it, "It'll make everything calmer for ya."

Lincoln sighs once more, "Sure Luna…"

And so, Luna makes him a small cup of cocoa, while doing the same for herself. After that, they sit at the dining table they ate dinner at just a few short hours prior.

"So… I guess you start." Luna takes a small sip, "After all, you're he one raiding the fridge."

The young boy does the same, though he swirls the sweet liquid in his mouth for a moment, savoring its unfamiliar taste, "Well… I guess I'll start by, I wasn't raiding your fridge for a snack."

"Oh?" Luna raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Then why were ya doin' it mate?"

" _You can't tell her you're an orphan… her sympathy is the last thing you need."_ He continues with a soft, wavering voice, "Well… I live in a home with a lot of kids too and since there's not a lot of money to go around, I usually go out and try to get some stuff to make up for it."

"Well I'm not sure how to react to that." Luna leans back calmly, "So you act like Robin Hood or something?"

"Yeah I guess…" He sighs, "And well… my sister, while she didn't like it, knew I had to do it, for everyone's sake." He clutches the locket hidden under his shirt "But… yesterday, the courts decided to break us apart and give her to a new family." He lets out a deep breath, "So I went out to find her…"

" _That explains it."_ Luna looks upon the boy with a sincere gaze, before placing a finger on his mouth, "You don't need to say more. I understand."

Lincoln lets out another deep breath, "But before she left… she told me that I'm going to do great things…"

"She sounds mature." Luna chuckles.

Immediately, Lincoln breaks out into laughter, "My sister wasn't mature at all. She would try to, but when no one was around, she'd break out like the child she really was…"

The young woman leans in closer, "Oh? Tell me more about her."

"Sure I guess." He rubs the back of his head in thought, pushing the aching feeling in his chest away as he does so, "Well uhh… I remember this one time where she accidently left her favorite stuffed bunny at home when we went on vacation, so my parents had to drive us back to get it." He chuckles, "And on the way back, she thought we were passing unicorn fields."

"Seriously? Sounds like the time Lola thought that she could get prettier by smearing unicorn poop on her face, so she ended up getting horse dung and smearing it on herself." The young woman throws her head back in laughter, "She smelled like the stuff for weeks!"

"Haha!" Lincoln laughs, "But that doesn't compare to the time Liberty-"

* * *

After about an hour of sharing random stories from their families, the duo stands up from the both have bags under their eyes, no doubt from the tiredness they both experience.

"So you feelin' better Linc?" Luna calmly asks, a soft smile forming upon her face.

Lincoln nods, "Yeah… thanks Luna." He grabs his bag and peers inside, "You sure your parents won't mind if I take some of your pudding?"

She waves him off, "I'm pretty sure, given the fact that we have to restock every week, I'm sure they'll just shrug it off as us needing to get more and stuff."

"Thanks." He whispers, before throwing his arms around the girl, and pulling her into a warm hug, "Thank you Luna." He does his best to hide the soft tears forming under his eyes, "I really needed that."

"No problem mate, no problem at all." She lovingly rubs his head, "Now how about you go to sleep huh?"

"Sure." And with that, Lincoln breaks the hug, walks back into the living room, and falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

1-23-23, 9 23-1-19 8-15-16-9-14-7 12-21-14-1 23-15-21-12-4 19-9-14-7 1 12-21-12-12-1-2-25 6-15-18 8-9-13

 **A/N Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! In order to compensate for the fact I'm working on 3 stories at the same time, I'll space out their updates. This story will update in 2 weeks, and "Unwavering Bonds" will be updated next week, etc.**

 **As always, I thank Sunblast-X, Exotos135 and Wolvenstrom for their help!**


	5. Finding A Truth

**A/N Well guys, I'm back and feelin' better! Yes, I'm still sick, but I'm not letting a bad cold stop me from being a consistent writer! I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter! It's slightly shorter than the others, but don't worry, next chapter makes up for the length.**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Five: Finding A Truth

"Ahh, don't ya love it up here, Lincoln?" Liberty looks up to the clear sky above, as she kicks her legs with a child-like curiosity. She turns to her brother and repeats with a childish tone, "Don't ya?! Don't ya?!"

Lincoln sits next to her calmly, simply looking up to the sky as well, "Haha! Yeah, yeah Libby." He motions for his sister to calm down, "I love it up here." His voice fills with a soft, brotherly care, "But you gotta be quiet, remember? Mom and dad hate it when we come up here."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She waves him off, before looking back up at the night sky "But you know that mom and dad sleep like rocks!"

"Heh, just like you sis." Lincoln chuckles.

"Hey! I am not a heavy sleeper!" Liberty throws her arms up in annoyance.

Yet, Lincoln can't help but respond, "Uhh, yeah you are." He turns to his sister with a bright smile and speaks with an unwavering tone, "If I wanna get you up in the morning, I have pull the pillow out from under your head, and even that doesn't work all the time!"

Liberty looks away and crosses her arms, "Hmph, no you don't!"

"Yeah I do." He chuckles as he scoots closer to his sister, "I'm usually up first remember?"

"I still don't know how you pull it off!" She whines, "You go to bed after reading those stupid books!"

"They're comics sis, comics are cooler than books!" Lincoln rubs her back.

"It's not fair!" She looks away in annoyance.

Lincoln simply smiles, "Don't take it to heart sis. We're different, and you know that!"

"Yeah… I know." Her expression falls downcast for a moment, "I just… people keep saying we're half-identical twins!" She sighs, "I just wish we didn't look alike… then maybe I'd be more special… You're the talented one and I…"

"Liberty, you're my sister, that makes you special already!" Lincoln puts his finger on her lips, "And don't you ever let anyone say otherwise!" Then, he throws his warm arms around the young girl.

Wordlessly, she returns the hug, "You mean it Linky?"

"Of course I do Libby. Of course I do." He pushes her off and looks into her deep, white eyes, "So, wanna look at the stars? They're almost as beautiful as you."

Liberty nods, "Sure bro." She lets go of him with that, before lying down and pointing at the starry sky above, "Do you know which one that is?"

Lincoln responds by lying down next to her, "How should I know?!"

"Haha!" She laughs, "It was worth a shot." She simply lies back with that, against the hard tile of the roof.

Lincoln leans back as well next to her, allowing soft silence to overtake the two five-year-olds. The fall air slowly engulfs the twins, immersing them in the soft heat of the night. They can taste the sweet air around them, and feel the summer's end slowly approaching.

Finally, after a few minutes of simply taking in the night world, Liberty breaks the silence once more, "Hey Lincoln… do ya remember what Alex said about the stars?"

"What about them?" Lincoln fidgets in place for a moment, before putting his hands behind his head, and using them as a pillow.

Liberty turns to her brother, "How they were made silly!"

"Heh, course I do sis." Lincoln chuckles as he turns to face her, "You make me tell it every time we come up here!"

She immediately sits up and turns to her brother, "Tell it again, please!" She puts her hands together to beg.

Lincoln sits up as well, raising an eyebrow as he does so, "Seriously Libby?"

She nods, before pulling her hands in closer and looking at the young boy with begging eyes, "Pretty please big bro?"

"I'm only five minutes older." He smiles for a moment, hesitates and sighs, "But ok then sis, sure." He then lies down and his sister does the same.

The young boy then motions towards the sky above, with his sister simply watching him go, "Legend states that thousands of years before the first people roamed the earth, the sky was devoid of life." His voice is filled with a joyful softness to it, as if it is a soft pillow to their ears, "Then one day, two children- a girl named moon and her older brother, sun, rode off into the night with magical arrows."

The young girl listens intently, as she imagines the sight of the duo of the sun and moon giving birth to the countless stars above.

The young boy holds his arms out for emphasis, "And together, they fired into the night!" He waves his arms around like an explosion, "With each volley, the sky was filled with more and more beautiful stars! Allowing us to see beauty in the darkness." He turns to his sister, "The end."

"Heh, that was faster than you usually tell it bro." Liberty playfully punches her brother's arm.

"Course sis, then again, you've probably heard this story a thousand times already!" Lincoln playfully punches back. And with that, they both begin to laugh.

"Heh, maybe you'll be great at storytelling when you grow up." The girl quips, turning away from her brother as she does so.

Lincoln remains silent for a moment, before smiling, "And you'll be there to Listen, right sis?"

"Of course, always together bro." Liberty simply looks up at the night sky once more.

And with that, silence overtakes the duo once more.

"Hey Linky…" Liberty glances at her brother nearby brother.

"Yeah Libby?" He responds, simply looking up at the stars.

"What was that song mama sung about the stars?" she looks away, closes her eyes and smiles. "I don't remember how it started…"

"I think it went, Still and silent." Lincoln's voice fills with a soft hope.

"Oh! Now I remember!" Her voice filling with a soft hope, "Calm before the storm!" Liberty's voice fills with a child-like excitement,

Lincoln sits up, and continues, "Gold, and diamond."

"Jewels behind the throne!" Liberty sits up as well, her voice too filling with excitement.

And together they sing, "Into the night, out of the dark, take to the sky, chasing the stars!" Their singing begins to slow down every so slightly, as their eyelids start to become heavy. "All that we said, all that we are, waiting to fly, this is the start!"

"Hide and seek, reason and rhyme, grand and glorious." Their soft voices meld, creating a soft melody as they slowly, wrap their arms around each other and sing, "Livin' the dream, yours and mine, euphoria…" And with that, the duo falls asleep under the cover of the night.

* * *

"Lincoln, are you all right?" Lynn Sr. speaks with a soft, fatherly voice, breaking the young boy's trance.

Immediately, Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, as he darts his head in surprise, "Huh, what?" He is no longer on his home's roof, but rather sitting at the dining table he had been at the night prior, with a small plate of food resting in front of him.

"Are you all right dear?" Rita looks at the young boy with a motherly concern.

"Yeah, like, you look like something's bothering you!" Leni responds, 'Like, I remember the time I couldn't stop thinking of these heels, oh they were totes cute!" She holds her hands together and looks up with awestruck eyes.

Luan immediately takes the moment to respond, "You must've been **pumped!** " Before she throws her head back in laughter, "Haha! Get it?!" Her siblings groan in response, while Lynn Sr. laughs along with her.

"Good one honey." The man goes, before turning to the young boy once more, "So is there anything on your mind, Lincoln?"

"No, no…" Lincoln's voice trails off, "I'm fine, really. I was just uhh… remembering stuff is all. I'll be all right." Though he can't help but think, _"It's been two days at this point… I wonder…"_

"Ok then…" Rita's voice is filled with concern, "If you need anything Lincoln, feel free to ask."

The young boy nods, "Ok then…"

And with that, the woman turns toward her second-youngest child, "So Lisa?"

Lisa adjusts the oversized set of glasses she wears, before pulling out a set of passes, "As I was saying, I have been talking with the scientists down by the planetarium and they have given me permission to go to conduct research." The young girl holds up to pieces of plastic, "However, they mentioned that I would be allowed to bring a less genius guest that is interested in learning as well." She looks around the table for a moment, "And currently, I am unsure of who to bring along with me."

"Well there's a really easy way to find out!" The man of the how stands up and asks, "Girls, who wants to go with Lisa… when're the passes good until?"

"The appointment is this Saturday, if not I will simply have to go alone." The three-year-old then shoves the passes back in her pocket.

Lynn Sr. turns back to his family and guest, "So, who wants to go?"

None of the girls speak up, causing Lisa to shake her head, "Figures. I am alone in science." She begins to pout.

"Don't worry honey, I'll go with you!" Rita goes, rubbing her daughter's head as she does so.

" _Liberty loved the stars…"_ Lincoln takes in a spoonful of the miscellaneous foodstuff he had been provided. From what he can see, it's scrambled eggs though not made the way he preferred them. _"I wonder if she's stargazing right now…"_

"How about you Lincoln?" Luna speaks up, "After all, you seemed really interested in talking about the stars last night!"

Immediately, Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, "Huh, wait what?" He almost drops the fork on the floor, those he's able to control his shock, causing it to drop on the plate instead.

"Would ya like to, you know, go stargazing sometime?" Luna asks with a motherly tone, almost as if she is trying to convince him to go.

" _Should I?"_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, as he looks up at Luna's hopeful expression, before turning towards Lisa's indifferent one, _"I mean… Liberty… she loved the… no, they're just not the same without her."_ He lets out a deep breath and shakes his head, "No thanks. I'm just not uhh… too interested in the stars and stuff."

"Aww, ok then." Luna let's out a deep breath in disappointment.

After that, Lincoln finishes up the meal he had been given and picks up his plate, "Thanks for the meal, I think I'll just uhh… be on my way-"

"Aww." The girls groan in disappointment, before Lana adds, "Will you be back?"

Lincoln shrugs, "I don't know…" Before he turns around, "I'll just uhh-"

"No, no, let us drive you!" Rita motions for him to sit down, "After all, you live on the other side of town, and it wouldn't be right to just let someone your age out all on your own!"

" _The orphanage lets me go out all the time…"_ he immediately thinks, "Are you sure? I mean… I know the way, I'm sure I could-"

Lynn Sr. cuts him off with that, "Don't worry about it, we don't mind at all." He glances over his ten daughters for a moment, "After all, I'm sure I can trust my daughters to take care of things while we're gone, right Lori?"

Lori doesn't bother to look up from her phone to answer, "Yeah, yeah, whatever dad."

"See?" He motions towards her, "Now come on, we insist."

Lincoln hesitates for another moment, _"It's been years since you… I'm sure it'll be fine, but… what if it happens again?"_ he looks up at a nearby clock, _"Nine-thirty… Ms. Sherman is awake… she's probably wondering where I am…"_ And so, reluctantly, he sighs in defeat, "Ok then… I'll just uhh… wash this dish off."

"Oh, don't worry about that dish, our daughters will handle it!" Rita goes with a soft care.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind cleaning up after myself." He calmly looks at the woman, tilting his head as he does so, _"After all… I had to make sure both Liberty and I were clean… as well as all of the other orphans…"_

Rita nods, "Yes, just put your plate in the sink, and we'll meet you outside in a few, ok?"

"Ok…" Lincoln nods, before Rita continues, "Ok kids, say goodbye to Lincoln."

"Bye Lincoln." The girls respond in unison… though Lucy is nowhere to be found.

"Bye girls." Lincoln sadly goes, before walking way, making sure to drop the plate in the sink as he does so, before he simply walks out of the home, and waits by the door, _"Everything is going to be all right… there aren't going to be any more flames…"_

A few minutes pass with that, with Rita and Lynn Sr. walking out of the home and walking over to an oversized blue van, with white highlights and a glassy middle layer.

"Ok, just get in the car and we'll drive you home." Lynn Sr. gets in the driver's seat of the van, while Rita gets in the passenger's seat.

For a moment, Lincoln stands by, hesitating whether or not if he should get in, _"What if… it happens again?"_ He quickly shakes his head, _"No, it won't. It was just an accident."_ And with that thought in mind, he slowly and carefully climbs inside, though choosing to sit in the very back.

He quickly buckles his seatbelt and raises a thumb, "Ok! I'm ready!"

Rita and Lynn Sr. look at each other in confusion for a moment, before Lynn Sr. awkwardly asks, "Uhh… are you sure you're comfortable back there? I mean it isn't the best set here and stuff…"

"Yeah, I'm all right back here." Lincoln immediately responds, his voice filling with a nervous fear, "Just… can we go? I don't really like car rides much"

The two parents look at each other for a moment, before simply shrugging.

" _Just stay calm Lincoln… everything is gonna be fine."_ He calmly repeats as the oversized van starts up, backs out of the driveway and begins its journey through the small town of Royal Woods.

A few minutes of silent travel pass with that, with neither parent knowing just how to break the soft, uncharacteristic silence of their family van… though, luckily for them, Lincoln easily breaks it, just as they're a block away from the address he had given them.

"Hey, could you drop me off here?" He calls out, his voice filling with a soft fear, "I can uhh… walk the rest of the way." He puts on a soft smile, "I'll be fine."

"Uhh… are you sure?" Rita leans over in the seat, and turns to face the young boy, "I mean, we're really close, I'm sure we could just drop you right in front and stuff."

For a moment, Lincoln can swear Rita's hair turns a soft white, before he shakes his head, bringing him back to his senses, _"She's not my mom."_ His awkward smile devolves into a downcast frown, "Yeah. I'll be fine. Please drop me off here."

Lynn Sr. sighs, "Ok then." He hits the brakes and unlocks the car doors with that, "Get home safe!"

"Thanks for everything." Lincoln carefully unbuckles his belt, and gets out of the car with that. And without another word or thought, begins walking the rest of the way home, leaving the two adults to sit in the car.

"We're following him right?" Lynn breaks the silence with a nonchalant tone.

"Of course, we can't leave that kid alone, we have to find out why he ran off!" Rita then opens up the side door and steps out of the family van as well, "You go find a parking, and I'll make sure he doesn't stray."

"Got it." The man nods, "We'll meet up at the address he gave us?"

"2775 Neptune Avenue." Rita repeats, "Don't get lost dear!

"I'll try." Lynn Sr. chuckles, and quickly drives off while Rita makes sure to duck behind a nearby fence. _"I wonder what's going on with you. Why were you out in the rain last night?"_

Meanwhile, Lincoln simply walks along the beaten path towards his orphanage home. With nothing else to do, he holds his hands behind his head, as it trying to calm down.

" _Well that was one heck of a night…"_ He looks up, towards the cloudless sky, _"Those were some colorful girls …"_ He looks up, "They almost reminded me of… her…"

Soon enough, he turns a familiar corner and comes face-to-face with a familiar sign, "Ms. Paradigm's… I'm back." And with a few more steps, he stands before the worn sign and broken stone path once more. The world around the boy seems to shift once more, though he doesn't notice when he moves his right hand to clutch his backpack.

"Well… I guess this is our home now…" Lincoln whispers as he clutches his sister's hand even tighter.

"Yeah…" Liberty weakly goes, "This is home…" And with that, the do both take in deep breaths, before walking up to the old wooden door.

The twins look at each other fearfully for a moment, before Lincoln climbs up on Liberty's shoulders and hits the doorbell, causing a small chime to emanate through the home.

A few moments pass, before the doorknob turns slowly, and the wooden plank opens up, revealing a old woman with soft grey hair.

"Lincoln!" She shouts, before she throws her arms around the young boy, "Thank goodness you're all right!"

Immediately, Lincoln breaks from his trance, though Mrs. Sherman continues on, "Everyone was so worried about you! Where have you been?!"

"Sorry I'm late Mrs. Sherman." Lincoln quietly responds, looking away as he does so, "I just uhh… I had something come up last night, and I couldn't come home."

The woman looks at the boy in confusion for a moment, before simply letting out a sigh, and rubbing his hair, "Don't worry about it for now. We'll talk about it more later." She motions for him to walk away, "Now, go do your chores please. The young ones refused to do anything without you being around to help them.

Lincoln nods in response, "Ok then…" And with that, he walks away.

Mrs. Sherman watches the young boy walk away, before finally sighing in defeat. She shuts the door and turns around, before she begins to walk towards her quiet office once more, _"What am I gonna do with you, Lincoln? You can't-"_

*Ding Dong* the doorbell rings once more, causing the old woman to turn to face it, " _I wonder who that could be."_ She walks over and begins to unlock the wooden plank.

Despite everything her experience had taught her over her long careers, she gets her hopes up. _"When one has to take care of children…"_ she reminds herself, _"one must keep hope, or else a bad situation will end up a heck of a lot worse… for everyone."_

She chuckles, _"Maybe another perspective parent has decided to come and adopt another child!"_ The old woman turns towards the open door leading to the backyard. From what she can see, the young children are running around, simply playing a game of tag, while the older children simply watch to make sure they stay safe. _"Let's hope for the best."_ And with that, she takes a deep breath and opens the door.

"Why hello there!" She cheerfully greets with the brightest smile she can muster, "Welcome to Mrs. Paradigm's Home For Children!"

Rita and Lynn Sr. look at each other for a moment, before the woman speaks, "Uhh… home for children?"

"Yes, this is a home for the young children of Royal woods that do not have parents to take care of them." She politely answers, letting go of the front door; choosing instead to lean against the doorframe

Lynn Sr. immediately leans closer to his wife. "This was the address we were given, right Rita?"

Rita nods, "Yeah it was Lynn." Then they break and look back at the woman, "This is an orphanage?"

"Yes it is." Mrs. Sherman answers, "The only one still operating for miles…"

Lynn Sr. hesitates for a moment, before simply asking, "Is there a 'Lincoln' living here? We uhh… just wanted to talk to him and stuff."

The woman nods, "Yes there is… has he stolen from you?" Her once bright voice fills with a downcast pain, "I apologize for his behavior… things haven't been going too well for him lately." She then digs into her pocket and pulls out a small checkbook and pen, "I'll see about reimbursing you as soon as-"

"No, no, there's no need" Rita motions for her to stop, "Though, what do you mean by that though?"

"Lincoln is known for breaking into people's homes at night and raiding their fridges… though I don't know if he has been doing it as of late as no one has come to report any thefts."

"I see." Lynn Sr. shakes his head, "No… though I suspect we will have to check the fridge later." He looks at the woman, "He just stayed with our family last night and-"

"Oh thank you, thank you for bringing him back…" she smiles and grabs the man, "I was worried that he had gotten lost, and was just about to call the police… would you like anything for your troubles? I apologize for-" She starts, only for Rita to cut her off.

"It's ok, you don't have to pay us back." She assures, before her voice fills with a soft, motherly seriousness. "We just wanted to know why he was out looking for his sister last night?" she looks at her husband, "Our daughter found him and we were worried as to why he was doing what he was."

"So that's where he was this morning…" Her voice trails off, before she takes a deep breath, "A lot has happened to him in the previous days is all… I'm sure he's going to be fine and move on." While she thinks, _"The orphans are always fine in the end…"_

"Would you mind telling us anything about him?" Rita tilts her head in response. "We would like to know more about him… maybe even if there something we could do to help him out…"

" _Maybe this is Lincoln's chance to finally get adopted! I have to convince them to take him in!"_ With that thought in mind, Mrs. Sherman darts her eyes around the room for a moment, before motioning for the duo to come inside, "Let's discuss this in my office, you never know when one of the children is eavesdropping on us."

The two parents both nod and follow the old woman inside. And within a few minutes, are sitting in the main office.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Lincoln!" The children shout as the crowd the young boy.

"Hey kids…" Lincoln calmly greets as he simply lets them crowd around him.

"Where have you been?!" A little boy with brown hair asks, "We were so worried about you!"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, "I was out is all. I'm sorry I couldn't help you guys this morning." He then rubs a nearby child's head affectionately, "Why don't you kids go back to playing? I'll be here watching you."

"You got it!" A little girl gives a thumb's up, before another boy runs away shouting, "Last one to the ball is a rotten egg!" And with that, the three others follow.

" _Well… it looks like those two did a great job making sure the kids weren't too crazy this morning."_ He sighs, before walking over and taking a seat on the back stairs to watch.

"L-Lincoln." A fragile voice goes, before a familiar young girl walks over to him, clutching a small, stuffed bunny.

"Hey Stacy." Lincoln responds, his once harsh, downcast expression softening at the sight of the girl. "What's up."

"Why weren't you there this morning?" She clutches her stuffed animal even tighter, "I was worried you left us and went on a long trip like Liberty did."

Lincoln mentally kicks himself with that, _"I forgot… These children still need me, and me deciding to stay the night with those girls…"_ He shakes his head and motions Stacy to sit at his side, which she immediately does. Lincoln places a soft, brotherly hand on her back, "I'm sorry I wasn't there Stacy, I was just really busy and I needed to go last night."

"But… but…." The young girl's voice is filled with fear.

He turns the young girl and looks into her eyes, "Don't worry Stacy, I promise that I won't leave you like my sister had to, ok?" He then pulls her into a warm, comforting hug.

"Ok Lincoln…" Her voice trails off with that.

After that, Lincoln lets go of her, "Now, why don't you go play with the other kids? I'm sure they'd love to have you around!"

Stacy nods, "Ok…" And with that, she lets go of the boy, before running over to the group of five orphans and playing along with one of the younger members.

" _I belong here."_ Lincoln then sighs, _"But… those girls were so nice! They… they seemed so much like… her."_ He curls up with his knees in his chest for a moment, _"If I belong here… why did I feel at home with those girls? It's almost like… I don't really belong here…"_ he lets out another deep breath, _"I need to talk to someone… but who?"_

Suddenly an idea comes to him, _"Well… I guess asking her wouldn't hurt…"_ The young boy then stands up, _"Cristina is probably planning this week's stuff in her room…"_ And with that, he walks back into the home.

* * *

"Would you like some tea?" she asks, her voice fills with a soft professionalism as she walks over to a teapot and simply pours herself a cup of the liquid.

"No thank you." Lynn Sr. waves her off, "I already drank a lot of coffee today… dealing with our daughters is a difficult job after all."

"Oh, you have daughters?" Mrs. Sherman raises and eyebrow in both interest and disappointment.

"Yes, we have ten." Rita immediately answers with a proud voice, "As you could probably tell yourself, we kinda have our hands full and stuff."

" _A shame… I suppose these two will not be the ones to adopt Lincoln then…"_ She puts on a fake smile to hide the sting of disappointment shooting through her body. Despite what appearances would suggest, it hurt her to see so many children up for adoption and so few families able to take them in. "I could probably tell. Please, tell me more."

"While we would love to…" Rita shakes her head and speaks with a serious tone, "I would like to know why that boy was out in the rain last night. He could've gotten sick, or…" She shivers from the thought, "Something worse could've happened.""

"Of course. Of course." Mrs. Sherman sighs again, before she places her hot cup tea on her desk, and takes her seat in front of the two parents. Usually, this would be a meeting about adopting one of the children in her care… not about where they've been. "You see… he's an orphan."

"Well, given the fact that he came home to an orphanage, I think we know that already." Lynn Sr. crosses his arms in annoyance.

"And well, you see…" Mrs. Sherman rubs the back of her head, as if trying to come up with just the right words to explain what had happened. "His sister got adopted the other day and he really hasn't been taking it well…" Her voice trails off painfully, "Yesterday… he punched another child out of anger for just mentioning her name."

"Is he a troubled child?" Rita raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

Mrs. Sherman shakes her head, "Not at all… don't get me wrong, we've taken in troubled children before, but he's not troubled… It's more like, he used to do everything he could to take care of his sister, and when she had to leave, he just couldn't handle it." She sighs again, "I don't blame him… it's just a shame when one gets adopted and not the other."

For a moment, silence overtakes the orphanage office, with the two parents trying to come up with another question.

Finally, Lynn Sr.'s expression softens and he breaks the silence with, "How long has he been here?"

"Let me think…" She counts the time on her fingertips, all while whispering random nonsense, "He's been here for five years…" Her voice trails off, "He's been here ever since his family died in a car crash… only he and his sister survived."

The man and woman look at each other for a moment, as if silently discussing what to say next, "Is there anything we could do to help? He spent the night with us and well… the girls seemed to like him."

"Well… short of adoption, giving him someone to spend time with could help get his mind off his sister." She sighs, "For his sake… I hope he recovers soon, him and his sister were instrumental in keeping things sane."

"What do you mean?" Lynn Sr. tilts his head in curiosity.

Mrs. Sherman motions towards herself, "I'm an old woman, in my mid-seventies, and I've been running this orphanage for over forty years…" She sighs, almost as if she is quietly kicking herself for admitting this, "Because my husband and I are so old, we rely on the older kids to act as guides for the younger ones…"

"You don't have too many older kids?!" Rita's jaws drop in surprise.

She shakes her head, "We have two others, but they were never as good at helping the little ones like Lincoln and his sister." Her voice filling with regret as she continues, "Most children get adopted before they're old enough… but Lincoln and Liberty have refused to go unless they could leave together."

"And I guess you were finally able to convince them to break up?" Lynn Sr. guesses, much to the relief of the orphanage director.

With that, more silence overtakes the three of them once more.

"Do you allow visitors here?" Rita breaks the silence.

"Of course, it's always nice to have people come and spend time with the orphans." The old woman responds.

"Would you mind our daughters coming by?" Rita asks, hope filling her voice, "I'm sure that our girls could probably help him get passed her."

"I don't mind at all… just try to limit it to one or two at a time. Some of the orphans come from… less than happy backgrounds and well… large groups could scare some."

"Got it." The two parents respond, before getting out of their seats, "Thank you for having us.

"No problem at all. We don't get too many visitors here." Mrs. Sherman then shakes their hands, "And if you consider anything to help Lincoln, feel free to contact me."

"Will do." Lynn Sr. responds, before the two parents turn and walk away, not noticing the child hiding in the corner.

"25-5-19-20-5-18-4-1-25 9-19 8-9-19-20-15-18-25, 20-15-13-15-18-18-15-23 9-19 1 13-25-19-20-5-18-25, 2-21-20 20-15-4-1-25 9-19 1 7-9-6-20. 20-8-1-20 9-19 23-8-25 9-20 9-19 3-1-12-12-5-4 20-8-5 16-18-5-19-5-14-20." ~15-15-7-23-1-25

 **A/N Huh, I wonder who that child is, and where the heck is Lucy gone?! Anyways guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Seriously, I had so much difficulty writing this because so little happened compared to the rest of the story!**

 **Disclaimer: The Fat Rat's "The Calling" is a copyright-free song so long as I credit him. Credit goes to him for the song Lincoln and Liberty sang together.**

 **I thank Wolvenstrom, Exotos135, Sunblast-X and Insane Master Writer Studio For all their help!**

 **Guest Replies: (C3 and 4)**

 **Yama: Only if you live on a lemon farm.**

 **Pockets: Thanks! I do my best!**

 **C3 Guest: I have no idea of what you're asking.**

 **Dragontitan: Yep, and soon he'll meet more!**


	6. Finding A Friend

**A/N Ahh, finals week is a pain! But hey, I'm not giving up! Chapter 6 is here and on time, just like I always aim for! I hope you enjoy what writing with writer's block comes up with!**

 **R &R**

Chapter Six: Finding A Friend

A few minutes after that, a small van drives through the nearly empty roads of Royal Woods, its glassy top layer shimmering in the late summer sun. Inside, the two occupants sit in silence, with the man holding the wheel, softly guiding the vehicle just as his father had done before him.

"So…" The man goes, breaking the soft silence that had formed between him and his wife.

Rita remains silent, unsure of how to respond.

Lynn Sr. sighs, "How do you wanna tell them that the boy the boy they spent the night with was really an orphan?" He doesn't let his eyes waver from the road ahead.

"I'm not sure." The woman calmly answers, "I mean, I'm sure the girls liked him… right?" She looks at her husband with hopeful eyes, "So they'll probably go visit him!"

"Rita, calm down." He smiles at the woman, before looking away and putting on a sincere frown, "You know… I'm not really sure that them visiting the boy is a good idea. I mean, the kid ran away in the middle of the night. What if he, you know, convinces one of the girls to go with him? Or if he's more 'troubled' than Mrs. Sherman suggested?"

Rita hesitates for a moment, as she tries to push the thought of one of her children leaving with a boy she just met to the back of her mind. Though, even she has to admit her husband's point, "True Lynn, true…" She sighs. "But… you saw him last too, we can't just leave him alone! He needs someone!"

"We could ya know. He didn't seem too bothered by having to go back." He sighs, "Besides, what kinda parents would we be if we put some random kid's needs over those of our own daughters?" He glances at his wife, "We can barely afford to take care of ten kids! If Lincoln ends up coming around often, it'll be like raising an eleventh!"

"Yeah…" Rita looks away, before she turns back and counters with a soft, motherly care, "Though, we have to help him, our daughters are going to ask questions if we don't tell them anything!"

"I doubt it." He flatly responds, "I mean, they didn't like him that much, right?"

Rita hesitates her response, allowing a soft air to fill the void afterwards. "I don't know…"

"Look, I know you love children and wanna help them." The man continues, causing his wife to perk up. "So how about this, I'm hesitant, I really am. But if you wanna help that boy get passed his sister leaving. So, we can let the older girls visit, and don't let him come around for a while?"

"I think that's fair." Rita nods, before her husband drives the family van into their home's driveway.

Lynn Sr. then pulls the keys out of the ignition and finishes, "But only if they want to, ok? We shouldn't force the girls to spend time with some random boy that they don't care about much." Though he can't help but think, _"So help me, if a boy hurts my daughters…"_

Rita nods, "Ok then Lynn, let's do it."

"Well then, after you my dear." Lynn Sr. motions for Rita to step out of the van, and she complies.

The two parents then lock up the family wagon and step up to their home's front door. They look at each other one more and wordlessly nod, before opening the door together.

"Kids, we're home!" Rita greets, causing the duo to be swarmed by a cloud of their children. For a moment, they consider answering the volley of questions that the girls ask, only to realize that they can't understand a single word of it!

And so, Lynn Sr. shouts, "Girls! Calm down and line up!"

Instantly, the five girls present line up in height order, with Leni at one end and Lana on the other.

"Ok girls, what's got you so excited?" Rita nonchalantly asks, silently happy that her daughters are so ecstatic about her return.

"We like, just wanted to know what happened to Lincoln!" Leni answers with a beaming smile, "He, like, has to try on this new dress a made for him!" she holds up a pink dress with attached angel wings.

Luan points to the article, "That's a-dress to follow!" She throws her head back in laughter.

"Haha, that's a good one!" Lynn Sr. laughs as well, before wiping a tear from his eye, "Don't worry kids, he got home safe."

"Great!" Lana jumps up, into her father's arms, "Do you know when he'll be back? I need his opinion on some of my mud pies, and… welding work!"

"Yeah." Luna calmly steps forward from the group, "He and I really seemed to hit it off."

Immediately, the parents look at each other, before Lynn Sr. nods and Rita sighs.

"Girls…" A soft, caring air overtakes the woman, "When we dropped Lincoln off… Mrs. Sherman told us that he wouldn't be able to come around too often. He's busy with the other children."

"Who's Mrs. Sherman?" Lynn Jr. bounces a bright red dodgeball for a moment, as if preparing to peg someone with it. "Is she his mom?"

Rita stands by for a moment, trying desperately to keep her cool, though her husband's prodding urges her to continue, "No… she's the director of the town orphanage."

"You mean…" Luna's voice fills with a slight worry.

Rita nods, "Yes Luna, Lincoln is an orphan."

"Orphan? What's that?" Lana nonchalantly asks, before she jumps from her father's arms, while Leni adds, "Like, does it look good?"

"No Leni, you can't wear being an orphan." Lynn Sr.'s voice fills with a fatherly seriousness, "An orphan is a child who's parents are 'out of the picture' in some way…"

"That's terrible!" Lynn runs up to the duo, "Why didn't he tell us?!" before the rest of the girls present break out into random questions with very few answers.

Luna, meanwhile, remains silent, as the realization of what Lincoln had told her last night finally sinks in, _"He said he was looking for his sister… could that mean, his sister died? And the family with a lot of kids… that could be the other orphans?"_

"Girls, girls, calm down." Rita and Lynn Sr. motion for the girls to stop, before the woman continues, her voice filling with a soft care, ""Mrs. Sherman told us that twin sister got adopted the other day and he was out looking for her."

"That's terrible!" Lynn shouts, flaring her arms up as she does so, "We gotta help him somehow!"

"Like, how about you become his parents?" Leni looks away and waves her hand, "I mean, you guys are parents already, so why can't you?"

"I'm sorry Leni, but having a family as big as ours really cuts into our finances, we both have to work hard and cut corners to support everyone. Bringing Lincoln into the family would be irresponsible, as we'll as unfair to both you and him." Lynn Sr. begins to count on his fingers, "For one, our budget would stretch even tighter than it already does. Two, we don't have a room to give him. And three, there just isn't enough attention to go around." His commanding voice gains a softer, fatherly tone to it, "That's not even considering he's probably emotionally fragile, unstable and will need far more attention right now than what we could give without pushing you guys away."

The reality slowly dawns upon Rita, _"He's right… we do have problems…"_ And yet, she decides to respond, "We just wanted to tell you girls, because we think it would be a good idea for you to go visit him." Her voice fills with concern; "It would probably mean the world to those orphans and Lincoln. And if what Mrs. Sherman said is true, he needs someone he can trust."

"So you want us to go visit the orphanage he lives and spend time with him?" Luna raises an eyebrow, "Is there anything else we should know?"

"We're not forcing you to go. And since we just met him, we think it's best that you and Leni visit him first." Lynn Sr. responds, "While I want to help Lincoln, I think it's a bad idea to leave you girls alone with him until we know him better."

"Aww." Groans of disappointment emanate from three of the five girls.

"So, where are the others?" Rita speaks up, "I'm sure they would like to visit too."

Luna immediately responds, "Lori's busy with Bobby, I don't know where Lucy is, Lola's busy looking in the mirror, Lisa's working on some science stuff, and Lily is sleeping."

"Ok then." Their father then walks passed them, "If you need us, your mother and I will be getting ready for work later."

Rita then follows, "Lincoln lives at 2775 Neptune Avenue, I'm sure you girls will find a way to get there quickly. If you wanna visit him now, you have our permission… Leni and Luna do at least." And with that, their parents walk out of the room.

"So… what's the plan, Luna?" Lana asks, while Lynn runs up to her side.

Luna rubs her chin for a moment, "Well… since dad doesn't want you girls going just yet, how about Leni and I go for the day and see what's his deal?"

"That's quite the card!" Luan puns, "Get it, deal?"

"Ugh." The other girls groan. "Not the time Luan." Lynn adds.

"So do you guys agree?" Luna continues, while she thinks, _"And maybe we can get him to open up more."_

A few moments of whispering follow, only for the girls to nod in agreement.

"Good." Luna goes, "Come on Leni."

"Like, ok!" And with that, the two girls walk out of the home.

"Hey… where's Lucy?" Lynn asks, eliciting shrugs from Luan and Lana.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Lincoln!" A young voice calls out. "Please come here!"

"Will do Stacy!" Lincoln responds, while he desperately tries to help another child- this one a five-year-old get ready for that day's events. He quickly finishes tying the young boy's shoes, before patting him on the head, "Ok, you're ready Alex. Head downstairs now!"

He then stands up and turns, coming face-to-face with the four-year-old he holds so dear… who just so happens to be wearing her dress backwards… "Stacy! You know you're not supposed to be wearing that one!"

"Aww. Big sister Libby said these look nice…" She sadly states, her eyes looking away in shame.

"It does, just not right now Stacy." Lincoln takes the young girl in his arms, _"Liberty was really good at this. She would know how to help her…"_ he quickly shakes his head, _"Don't think of her, you don't need to go down that road any time soon."_ He then carefully helps the young girl out of her clothes and checks her diaper, _"Ok, nice and dry."_ Before brings the dress over to her drawer and replaces it with a new one.

Stacy tilts her head, "Linky, where did Libby go?"

" _Dangit… I was hoping she wouldn't ask anytime soon…"_ He takes a deep breath, "She's gone on a trip Stacy." He runs his hand through her soft, brown hair. "She's gonna be away for a while, ok?"

"A trip?" The child looks at him in confusion.

"Yeah, a trip, she had to go find those animals that ran away to a farm and stuff." Lincoln's voice fills with the pain of a father trying to explain death to their child, as he looks at her with soft, understanding eyes, "She'll be back, don't you worry."

"Oh…" The young girl looks down as her voice goes downcast. "Do you know when?"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, "Uhh…. soon. She's just gonna be gone for uhh… a few days…" Lincoln struggles to keep his own voice calm, though he manages, _"Stacy's a smart girl… unlike me… She takes so much after Liberty…"_

"Ok…" Stacy foes, before grabbing hold of the small stuffed bunny she always keeps with her.

Lincoln calmly raises her head, "Hey, chin up! You'll see her again!" His voice fills with hope, while he thinks, _"I hope…"_ Then he rubs her head, "Now, why don't you head downstairs? I'm sure Ms. Sherman is waiting for ya."

Stacy nods, before hugging Lincoln with, "I love you."

"I love you too." Lincoln returns the hug, and with that Stacy runs out of her room, leaving the boy alone. _"Well… I don't know how, but I managed to do both Liberty and my own jobs…"_ He gets on his feet and sighs, _"I wonder how she's doin' right now…"_

He steps out of the room… only to come face-to-face with Chandler; the latter still sporting the black eye Lincoln had given him to day prior.

"Hey." Chandler greets, his voice filled with bitter contempt.

"Hey." Lincoln responds, "What do you want Chandler?"

Chandler sighs, "Look…. I know I'm not the first person you wanna talk to right now, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry about Liberty."

Lincoln looks away coldly and walks away. "Whatever. Don't mention her." And with that, he turns and walks into his own room, before taking a deep breath, _"All the morning chores are done… the backyard is clean… clothes are washed. What's left to do?"_ He takes a seat on his sister's former bed and lies down. For a moment, he stares at the ceiling before he tries to process the events of the past few days. " _First I finally get enough food so we didn't only have to eat the little Ms. Sherman could put together… and then I lost Liberty…."_

He focuses on a small hole built into the ceiling, " _Well… at least I did all of the chores and managed to help the kids out…"_ He sighs, more memories flooding in of the previous day. The rain and how he had looked for his twin in the night. "Those girls were strange… almost like I belonged there or something." He pulls out his locket.

For a moment, he hesitates, before hitting the top button and opening it, revealing an image of him, Liberty, their parents and their two older siblings. _"It's been so long…"_

 _ ***Bang***_ Something goes.

" _What was that?"_ He flinches, jumps to his feet. Quickly, he shakes his head, _"Whatever, I'm just imagining things."_

"Hey Lincoln." A voice greets, causing the young, white-haired boy to jump back in shock, "What the?!"

Immediately, he comes face-to-face with a girl in a jet-black dress with similarly colored hair, "What the… Lucy?"

Lucy blushes in embarrassment, before she speaks with a hopeful tone, "Hey Lincoln, what's up?"

Lincoln picks himself off the floor and dusts himself off, "Lucy, why are you here?"

The younger girl's soft blush fades as her voice returns to its typical monotone, "I felt your darkness last night and well…" She looks away, hoping that Lincoln wouldn't pick up the hint, "I wanted to spend time with you and your lonely soul."

"Uh-huh." He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Anything else I should know? You know, a reason why I shouldn't just kick you out of my room."

"Because my parents know that you're an orphan." She flatly responds, taking a seat on the boy's bed as she does so. "They've probably told my sisters too."

"Ugh." Lincoln groans, "Well that's just great!" He flares his arms, before turning and glaring at the girl, "And what, did they send you here to make sure I didn't run away again, before they came back?"

"No…" Lucy shakes her head.

"Then why are you here?" The boy turns to Lucy and clenches his fists, "I don't need pity."

"I... I just wanted to spend some more time with you…" Lucy steps back fearfully.

"Why?" He stares at the hair covering her eyes. "I don't need your pity." While he thinks, _"I'm fine on my own."_

"You seem like an interesting guy." she grabs her arm, "Cute too…"

"Uh-huh, and?" He crosses his arms in annoyance, _"I seriously don't need pity."_

"So… since you looked lost, I figured that you and I both need someone to talk to… You know, about the spirits and darkness and you could... well..."

Lincoln sighs, "What?"

"I really want to learn more about you." Lucy's voice fills with a genuine concern, while she gives a slight, but hopeful smile.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Lincoln tiredly goes.

"To show that you're not an insecure and hopeless soul" Lucy quickly responds, stepping closer to the boy as she does so.

Without missing a beat, the young boy answers, "I've been raising seven orphans since I was seven myself! I'm not insecure or lost." He looks into her covered eyes, "I belong here. This is my home."

"No it's not..." she mutters, "This isn't your home."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Lincoln crosses his arms.

Lucy rubs the back of her head, "Well… let me ask you this, what person in their right mind would ever think they belong in a place like this?"

Lincoln doesn't hesitate his answer, "A person who's lived here for as long as they could remember."

The young girl remains silent, as if trying to judge the veracity of his answer.

"Well?" Lincoln goes.

She sighs in response, "Lincoln, do really think you'll be happy here for the rest of your life?"

"I…" Lincoln starts, yet allows his voice to trail off in uncertainty. _"Yeah… I will be fine here…"_ Yet, for some reason, he can't continue, "Fine, you win, what's your point?"

"You don't belong here, Lincoln" Lucy continues, a soft hope filling her voice.

"Yeah? Well where do I belong?" Lincoln speaks with skepticism filling his voice, "With you and your nine other sisters?" He looks away, _"No one wants someone like me."_

For a moment, Lucy pauses, a moment ago, she was keen on convincing Lincoln to go out with her, maybe even stay with her family until they could give him a permanent home. And yet, in just a few words, her, admittedly unrealistic, idea is shattered.

"I have a home here." Lincoln looks away, his eyes glancing at the brass lace around his neck, "The kids are my family and I don't need your pity Lucy."

"So you won't consider it, huh?" Lucy looks way in disappointment, "Not even for... Luna?"

" _Luna… wasn't she the girl I talked to last night?"_ the boy hesitates and shakes his head, "No, not even for her."

"That's not true. The spirits told me how close you and Luna got the other night. Though they didn't go into detail about it." Lucy continues with determination filling her voice, "You like Luna and you know it."

"Would you can it with the talk about spirits? If I wanted a lecture about ghosts and ghouls, I would've gone to church!" And with that, he turns away from the young girl. "Seriously, I don't care what they say, they have no power over me."

"Very well…" Lucy's voice trails off in disappointment, "If that's what you wish…"

"Lincoln!" The director shouts, "There's someone here for you!"

"If you need me, I'll be working." Lincoln finishes, before walking out of the room, Leaving Lucy behind.

Lucy sighs in defeat, and simply disappears into the nearby shadows.

* * *

" _What a spooky girl."_ Lincoln thinks as he steps down the old home's stairs, _"Well… at least it couldn't be worse."_ And when he hits the bottom, he turns and walks over to the main office. He looks at the old wooden door for a moment, and simply sighs in defeat, _"Well… let's see if I'm going to Military School for the stunt I just pulled."_

With that, he grabs the knob and pulls… revealing two familiar young women.

"Hey Linky!" Leni cheerfully greets, as both she and Luna stand up.

"Luna, Leni, what are you guys doing here?" He stands back in surprise. _"Great, two more girls I just met coming back for some reason…"_

Before either girl can answer, Mrs. Sherman stands up, "Ahh good, you know these two girls." She carefully walks around her desk and approaches the young boy, "Two parents came in asking about you and well… I told them a bit about you."

"Yeah…" Lincoln's voice trails off. _"So… they pity me too."_

The old woman kneels down and looks into his eyes as she whispers, "You haven't doing too well since your sister… you know." She looks down as she places her hands on his shoulders, "And well… I think it would be a good idea to try to get your mind on something other than her."

Lincoln immediately steps back, "What are you talking about?!" he puts his thumb on his chest, "I'm doing fine! I don't need to-"

"Please Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman stares into his soft, brown eyes, with her own begging gaze, "Do this for me, try to get your mind off her."

"… _Well, I guess…"_ He hesitates, before responding, "Fine." he sighs, "But what about the others? They're playing outside and I'm afraid one of them will get hurt."

"Don't worry about it." She waves him off, "I'll make sure they're safe." She pats his head, "Now go have fun."

The young boy hesitates for a moment, debating whether or not to go along with her plan, _"They just feel sorry for you. You couldn't protect your sister and now she's gone. Who could ever care about a waste like you?"_ Yet, when he looks into Mrs. Sherman's begging eyes, he relents and sighs once more, "Ok. Thank you Ms. Sherman."

"Good, have fun now." And with that, the old woman walks out of the room, leaving the young boy with the two girls.

Immediately, Leni runs up and throws her arms around the boy, "Linky!"

"Ugh, you're choking me!" Lincoln complains as Leni's arms pull him tight.

"Leni lay off him won't you?" Luna walks up to her side and motions for her older sister to let go of the boy, which she promptly does.

"Heh, sorry about that, Lincoln." Luna rubs his head, "Leni can get a bit… 'Hands-on' as you can see."

Lincoln dusts himself off, "Yeah… I can see that." He looks up at the duo, "Why are you two here?"

"What? Can't we visit the boy that spent the night with us?" Leni smiles at him, "We really wanna make you happy!"

"Thanks, but no thanks you two." He turns around, "I'm fine, really I am."

"What happened to the quiet boy we met last night?" Luna puts her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"Nothing really." Lincoln calmly answers, "It's only eleven o'clock and so far I've been snuck up on by your sister Lucy and now more people know the truth." He turns to them in frustration, "What, did anyone tell you about my sister too?"

Luna and Leni look at each other, before looking back at the boy. Luna rubs the back of her head, "Yeah… our parents kinda used it to convince us to come here." And then the realization hits her, "Wait, Lucy's here?!"

"Yeah, she was bugging me about me not belonging here and stuff." He crosses his arms, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think she has a crush on me."

"Well… we'll have to bring her home later then." Luna continues, while Leni adds, "Like, she said something about thinking you're cute and stuff!"

"Whatever." Lincoln goes, "That's besides the point. If you're here because you think I need someone's sympathy, go home." He coldly stares at the girls, "I don't need your pity." Though he can't help but think, _"The only one who can pity me is Liberty. I'm doing fine on my own."_

"Please Lincoln…" Luna goes with a soft voice, "We just wanna help you."

"I don't need your help." He responds, turning his back to the two girls as he does so, _"The only person who knows how to help me is gone, I'm on my own."_

 ***Growl*** Lincoln's stomach goes, immediately causing the two girls to perk up and an idea to come to Luna.

"How about we take you for lunch then?" Luna goes, "After all, Mrs. Sherman did say it could help you out. Plus, she's already watching the kids for ya!"

Lincoln doesn't answer.

"Like, can I put him in a dress instead?" Leni speaks up cheerfully, "After all, I'm sure I could find some materials around here, and we'd spend time doing it!"

Immediately, Lincoln turns to Leni, his face red with embarrassment, "No! I am not wearing another dress-" ***growl*** his stomach goes again, causing him to sigh in defeat, "Fine, I'll go eat lunch with you guys."

"Great! Leni grabs his arm and carries him up like a baby, "Let's go!"

"I can walk ya know!" Lincoln shouts, his face getting even redder from embarrassment.

"Don't fight it Lincoln." Luna quips, "Once Leni finds something cute, she'll cradle it as much as she can." She gives him a sincere and caring look, "Just gotta enjoy it."

"Fine." He mumbles, and with that, they trio walks out of the orphanage.

 _ **A few minutes later…**_

"So, this is a 'burger'?" Lincoln holds the over-filled sandwich in hands for a moment, hesitating on whether or not to shove it in his mouth.

"Yeah, it's a burger from Burpin' Burger!" Leni throws her arms up in excitement, "Like, it's the only thing I'd ruin a dress over!"

"Plus, it's delicious too." Luna chuckles, before singing, "Hungry y'all? Look no further! Come on down to Burpin' Burger! Grade B beef and special spice!

When it comes back up, it's twice as nice!" And with that, she burps.

"Well… I guess that jingle was good enough." Lincoln takes a deep breath, and puts the item of food in his mouth, before chomping down. Instantly, his mouth waters as the soft, sweet and tangy flavors of the burger hit his tongue. His eyes go wide from the shock, before he digs into the meal as if he had never eaten before.

Luna throws her head back in laughter, "Whoa kid, you eat like Lana and Lola!" As some of the fries and ketchup end up on her skirt.

"Sorry… I've never eaten something so good." He looks away shamefully, "Sorry about that." While he thinks, _"Mrs. Sherman was never able to make this stuff, even with whatever I could bring…"_

"It's like fine Lincoln." Leni waves him off, "Are you feeling better?"

Lincoln nods, "I'm fine Leni, you two don't have to worry about me."

"We're not, Lincoln." Luna corrects, "We just wanna make sure you're all right."

"Why?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "I barely know you two."

"Because you need help is all." Luna stands up, "Now, how about we go somewhere else? After all, it could be fun!"

"I don't know. I have-" The boy starts.

"Like, that sounds like a great idea Luna!" Leni goes, "How about the mall?! I'm sure I can totes find something cool for him there!"

Suddenly, Lincoln can feel something welling in the bottom of his chest. When it came to going to the mall, Lincoln would sometimes pass by before the shops opened up to glance at what he hoped to one day get, and even when he could buy something, as the Shermans wanted the children to at least have something for Christmas, there wasn't much an older child like Lincoln could get, without forcing the little ones to sacrifice.

"What do you think, Lincoln?" Luna and Leni both turn to the young boy.

"Ok… fine I'll go." He lets out a breath in defeat.

"Yay!" Leni shouts as picks the boy up again, only this time, Lincoln doesn't argue.

* * *

A few minutes of walking pass with that, before the trio comes across an oversized building with the words, "Royal Woods Mall" stamped above the canopied entrance.

Lincoln stands behind the duo quietly, as he watches the two girls in front of him motion for him to follow.

"Come on Lincoln! The mall's fun!" Leni turns and runs inside the building, with Luna simply chuckling in response, "Heh, she loves the mall."

"Yeah… I can see that." And with that, Lincoln follows Luna inside.

Immediately, his eyes go wide in shock. From what he can see, the inside of the mall is a massive two stories tall, with the long halls filled from end to end and on both sides with stores of all types. The oversized skylights above them allowed the sun's rays through, illuminating the building.

"Wow." Lincoln whispers, as he simply moves his head around.

"Heh, you think that's cool?" Luna quips, while she grabs his hand, "Come on, let's catch up to Leni, I think she ran into 'Grand Army'."

"Sure…" Lincoln voice trails off, _"Liberty would've loved the mall."_ And with that, Luna pulls him along, into a nearby store.

Instantly, the white-haired boy stands in a small store filled completely with clothes of all types. From what he can see, the cheapest clothes are in front while he assumes the more expensive articles are hidden in the back. "Huh, a clothing store?"

"Heh, yeah." Luna lets go of his hand, "Leni loves clothes, if you couldn't tell that is, so she ran in here." She turns to the boy and gives a soft smile, "Now come on, let's go find her, ok?"

"Ok." Lincoln nods, and proceeds to follow her. It doesn't take long for them to find the blonde-haired girl shuffling through a random pile of shirts, no doubt searching for a dress that would fit the boy.

"Hey Leni, whatcha lookin' for?" Luna chuckles as she approaches the young woman.

"Just trying to find something…" She buries her head in the pile of clothes, before stopping and shouting, "Like, found something!" Immediately, she pulls her body from the pile and holds up a small, orange polo.

"A shirt?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

"This thing will totes look great on you, Linky!" Leni shoves the darn thing in the boy's hand, "Why don't you try it on?"

" _They're just pitying you."_ Lincoln immediately thinks as he shoves the shirt back in her hands, "Don't worry about it Leni, I'm fine. Really, I am." He motions towards the orange polo he's wearing, "Mrs. Sherman made sure that we'd all have nice clothes when… the adults would come."

Leni pouts in disappointment, "Aww, but this would look so nice on you!" Her voice fills with sadness, as she turns away, preparing to put the shirt back on the pile.

"Well… you sure that's still a nice shirt?" Luna leans down and whispers, "I mean, from the dirt stains and holes I can see, you might need to replace that."

Lincoln looks down, " _True… I did all my chores in this… I haven't even taken it off…"_

While he thinks, Luna continues, "Plus, it would mean the world to Leni to see you wearing a shirt she picked out."

"Fine." Lincoln sighs in defeat, "I'll put it on."

*Squee!* Leni's disappointed frown immediately turns to a smile as she shoves the orange shirt into his hands, "Yay! I can't wait to see how you look in it!"

The young boy looks at the shirt and shrugs, "Ok…"

Leni then snaps her fingers, "I know, I'm gonna get you some pants to go along with that!" She turns and skips down a nearby aisle, "Be back in a second!"

"What did I just get myself into?" Lincoln mutters, while Luna just smiles.

A few minutes later, and Lincoln steps out of the changing rooms wearing the orange polo, as well as a matching set of blue pants and white shoes that Leni had picked out just for him. He looks at what he's wearing for a moment, before walking over to the girls, "Huh, this feels nice."

"How do you look, Link?" Luna cheerfully asks, as she watches the boy walk over to a nearby set of mirrors.

" _Wow… orange does work."_ Lincoln chuckles, _"Faded orange doesn't."_ He turns to face the two girls, with Leni eagerly awaiting his answer, "I think it looks great!"

"Yay!" Leni cheers, before declaring, "Like, do you wanna keep those? They make you look cute!"

Immediately, Lincoln holds up his arms defensively, "No, no, it's fine, really, you don't have to-"

"Don't worry about it Lincoln, we insist." Luna speaks up, "After all, you look great in those!" She chuckles.

Lincoln turns back to the mirror, "I do, don't I?" He sighs in defeat, _"Liberty…"_ Before he turns around and sighs again, "Fine…"

And after a few minutes of purchasing his clothes, as well as six more sets of the exact same clothes, the trio walks out of the store, with Lincoln clutching a medium-sized paper bag. _"Wow…"_ He thinks, "Thanks you guys…"

"Don't sweat it Lincoln." Luna waves him off, "It was nothing."

" _I guess these girls aren't so bad…"_ He thinks, _"Though… why are they pitying me?"_ Then he looks to the girls once more, "So, uhh, where to next?"

Luna rubs her chin and looks around for a moment, "Hmm, let's see…" her eyes fall upon a brick storefront with the words, "Forbidden Terra." Written in white ink.

"How about the music store?" She looks at him once more.

" _Music… Liberty loved music."_ He holds his arm as he hesitates. "I dunno…"

"Come on, it'll be fun." Luna assures as she motions for him to follow him, "Afterwards, we'll take you somewhere really fun, how's that?"

Lincoln hesitates for another moment, before sighing, "Ok… fine."

"Great!" Luna goes, and with that, Lincoln and Leni follow.

* * *

"Welcome to the Royal Woods Music Shop!" Luna throws her arms out as she attempts to exaggerate the size of the store, "If you need anything music related here, they'll probably have it!" She turns around and proudly puts her hands on her hips, "They even let you jam as a test run!"

"Luna, my dear!" An old man walks over to the trio, "Who are your friends? I've never seen them before!"

Luna motions towards Leni, "This is my older sister." Then she motions towards the boy, "And this is my friend Lincoln."

"Haha! This is great!" The man throws his head back in laughter, "So what're you in for this time?"

She turns towards the boy, "Do you play any instruments, Lincoln?"

The boy shakes his head, "No…" Though he can't help but think, _"Though… music does sound like a good idea… no, never again, I'm never playing the bassoon again."_

"Like, how about that stick thingy you play, Luna?!" Leni quips, "I'm sure Lincoln here could learn how to play it!"

She shakes her head, "No Leni, I highly doubt Lincoln could pull that off." She turns to the boy and grabs his hand, "Though, it wouldn't hurt to show him some stuff, now would it? Wanna hear some music?"

" _More things you don't need."_ Lincoln can't help but think, _"But… these girls… maybe I should give them a chance."_ He sighs again, "Ok, fine."

"Great!" Luna smiles, before walking over to a nearby guitar rack and grabbing the instrument, "Let's see… do you have any song requests?"

Lincoln shakes his head, "No …" He glances at a nearby instrument, " _Maybe if I give a beat though…"_ He walks over and grabs a set of drumsticks, "How's this?" And he begins to tap a beat.

Luna rubs her chin for a moment, before snapping her fingers, "I know!" Then she begins strumming her guitar, " You, you're gonna break my heart. You're gonna tear it apart. No matter what you do, I'll still be there for you." She glances at Lincoln, the young boy softening his beat, "And when you call my name, I won't be far away. No matter where you go, you'll never be alone. No matter what you do. I'll still be there for you."

And with that, she calmly ends her strumming, "How was that?"

Lincoln remains silent for a moment, as if he is absorbing her soft, caring words. _"No matter what you do… I'll still be there for you."_

"Lincoln?"

Immediately, the boy shakes his head, "Yeah, it was fine and stuff…" He looks away, _"No… you barely know these two! They'll never really be around for me!"_

"Like, I thought that was awesome!" Leni flares her arms up in excitement, "Why don't you two do another one?!"

Luna looks to Lincoln once more, "Wanna do another one Linc? I'm sure a jam session would be fun!"

"Sure…" Lincoln's voice trails off as his mind falls into thought once more. _"No… I'm overthinking this. They're just two girls that wanna waste their time with you…"_ And with that, he begins to tap another beat, albeit this one is quite fast, despite his slow thoughts.

"Stand together like we're rocks in a wall, growing stronger every day even more!" Luna sings, her voice filling with hope, as she strums. The, meanwhile, simply taps the beat, though even he can't help but tap faster to keep up, "Stand together in the eye of the storm and show the whole world who we are, ohh!"

Leni then joins in the jam session by grabbing a set of bells and shaking them as much as she can to the beat, "Keep on walkin' to the sound of the drums, feel the fire run through our lungs!"

And Lincoln can't help but whisper, ever so slightly, as Luna finishes, "Find our treasure in the light of the sun and show the whole world who we are, ohh!" Then, with a few more strums and bangs, the song finishes.

"Heh, that sounded great Lincoln!" Luna comments as she turns to the boy, "You got another beat?" While she thinks, _"He's loosening up."_

"S-sure…" Lincoln unsurely goes, _"I'm…enjoying this… This reminds me of her."_ And with that, he begins to tap another song.

" _Let's see… I can sing-"_ Luna thinks, only for Lincoln to start singing instead.

"Summer in the hills, those hazy days are to remember. We were running still, had the whole world at our feet… watching seasons change; our roads were lined with adventure. Mountains in the way, but didn't keep us from the sea." His already soft voice quiets down, while Luna follows his beat with her strumming.

Soft tears begin to stream down his cheeks, "There were mountains in the way, but didn't keep us from the sea. Here we stand up in arms… this home where we are, ever strong in the world that we made…" He looks at the drum set in front of him, and his voice slows down further, "I still hear you in the breeze, see your shadows in the trees, holding on, memories never change." And with that, he drops the drumsticks.

"Lincoln… that sounded nice." Luna quips as she walks over to the boy, "Where'd you come up with that?"

" _My mom…"_ He thinks, before shaking his head, "It's nothing." He looks away from the girl, "Could we just go somewhere else? I'd rather not keep playing music today."

Luna looks at Leni, with the older girl simply smiling with naïve happiness. "Ok Lincoln… Leni, got any ideas for where we should go next?"

Leni rubs her chin, "I know, how about the arcade? I totes think he'd love it there!"

"You know what… it's ok. It's getting late and I'd rather just go back to the orphanage." Lincoln responds, before turning and walking passed the girls.

"Ok then…" Luna goes, "Do you want us to join you? We could walk you home."

Lincoln shakes his head, "No thanks… And thanks for everything."

"Ok… get home safe." Luna watches as he simply walks away, leaving silence in his wake.

"I think he had fun!" Leni declares with a perky tone.

 _ **A few moments later…**_

Quietly, Lincoln walks along the familiar roads of Royal Woods. The afternoon sun bathing his body with its soft orange light.

" _Those girls weren't pitying me…"_ He thinks, as he holds his hands behind his head, _"Why do they even care though? I just met them…"_ He looks up towards the sky, the blue slowly becoming a mix of reds, purples and oranges, _"I'm probably just overthinking it."_

His mind trails off with that, as if more memories begin to fall back into place, and yet, he can't help but push them back again. _"Whatever. They'll just forget about me, and I'll forget about them. The only person who really cared about me is gone."_

Suddenly, the world shifts once more, not that Lincoln notices.

"You know that mommy and daddy love you." A voice whispers. Lincoln responds by holding up his hand, allowing another to take it.

"Yes mommy?" He looks at the white-haired woman above him, while holding onto Liberty's hand tightly.

The woman looks ahead with a nostalgic smile, "You know that mommy and daddy won't be around forever, right?"

Lincoln shakes his head, "No mommy…"

"Of course." She whispers, before she motions for the twins to sit on a nearby patch of hillside grass. They children comply and their mother sits between them. "You two know that mommy and daddy love you, right?"

"Yes…" Lincoln goes, while Liberty simply nods.

The young woman holds her two children close, "If anything happens, just know that there are people that will love you, even if we aren't around. And remember, we'll always love you."

"Ok mommy." Lincoln goes with a non-understanding tone.

"Get off my lawn!" An old man shouts, causing Lincoln to snap back to reality.

"Huh, what?!" He quickly looks around, only for an old man to run at him with a rolled-up newspaper.

Instinctually, Lincoln jumps to his feet and runs as fast as he can away. _"Those girls… cared about me…"_ After running down a block, he stops and pulls out his locket once more, _"Just like she did."_

He shakes his head again, _"No… you're on your own. You're worthless and the world will treat you like it. The only people who care about you are the children you take care of."_ He repeats, though a soft smile begins to form, _"And the girls want to visit you…"_ Without another word, he continues walking, turns at the next intersection and walks up to a familiar sign.

"… _Maybe they're not that bad…"_ And with that, he walks up to the orphanage and steps inside.

12-9-14-3-15-12-14-'19 19-15-6-20-5-14-9-14-7 21-16 18-9-7-8-20?

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank everyone who supports me in this! This was extremely hard to write for multiple reasons. I hope it was worth the effort though! I thank Sunblast-X, Insane Master Writer Studio and Wolvenstrom for their help!**

 **Credit for the songs they sung: [The Fat Rat songs are copyright free as long as credit is given properly.]  
** **The Fat Rat (Monody, Unity)  
** **The Fat Rat And Tasty Records (Never Be Alone). Link:** **(Youtube Link)** **/Ic-gZlPFTkQ**

 **Guest Replies (C5):**

 **Anon: Thanks, these chapters are hard to write due to me having to keep a certain pace with each… as well as my own worries about execution.**

 **Guest 1: Trust me, I was tempted to hop aboard that train, but then I remembered that something like that is tough. Wolvenstrom pointed that fact out to me. As for emotional development about the past, I understand where you're coming from, and don't worry, I have a chapter centered on the past planned.**

 **Guest 2: I hope I delivered!**

 **Exotos135: The reason why their parents are dead is because of the way laws work when it comes to foster care. When preparing to write this story, I did research on how the American system works, as well as inaccuracies I may had to take. If the parents were still alive, Lincoln would be hastily placed in a foster family and then I would have to deal with visitation rights and what his real family is like. And that's not even going into the complicated legal stuff. Simply put, I killed them off to make the story easier to tell.**


	7. Finding A Laugh

**A/N Man, this week has been frustrating for multiple reasons you guys. Though, I'll talk about that in the 2** **nd** **PM. I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter! Also, I did my best to fix any mistakes, my old writing tablet doesn't have proper correcting.**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Seven: Finding A Laugh

Calm afternoon twilight radiates over the quiet town of Royal Woods, illuminating the uneven path for two young women, both returning from their day with a certain orphan boy.

"So like, I thought, 'What if I gave him a cute dress'?" Leni naïvely rolls her eyes away and lazily waves her hand, while she continues to speak with a child-like joy, "But then I saw that cute shirt and pants and I just couldn't help myself!" She turns towards her younger sister, "And then I-"

Though instead of listening to her ramble on, Luna decides to shuffle along in silence, allowing miscellaneous thoughts to cloud her mind, _"What happened back there? And why'd Lincoln sing that song… And why didn't he tell me he was an orphan? Ugh, why doesn't this make any sense?! One minute he's just coming along because he's hungry and the next… he's singing his heart out!"_

The brunette grabs at her hair, "Ugh, why is this so confusing?!"

"Like what is?" Leni asks with a hopeful tone, "It's not modeling is it?" Her voice fills with despair, "I thought, like, trying on clothes would be easy…" she then looks away and begins to cry.

"Huh?" Luna turns towards her sister in surprise, before shaking herself back to her senses, "No Leni… modeling isn't too hard. You'll be great at it."

Leni's defeated frown immediately turns back into a joy-filled smile, "Great! For a second there, I thought I was gonna have to put my puzzle on hold to work on my modeling career!"

The younger girl can't help but give a soft chuckle at the notion. A few months prior, the fifteen-year-old had decided to finally learn the alphabet and the first ten numbers… by using a toddler's puzzle for the basics.

" _Leni's managed to get three of the six pieces together already… she'll probably be done with it soon."_ She can't help but crack a small smile at her sister's naivety, "No Leni, I'm just trying to figure out Lincoln, that's all.

"Why?" She tilts her head in curiosity.

"Because he decided to sing all of a sudden." Luna looks at the damaged sidewalk ahead, "For some reason, I feel like there's more to it than it just being some song."

"It's probably nothing!" The older girl waves her off, "I mean, you sing in the shower all the time!"

Luna sighs, before looking up at the path ahead, "It's not that. It's just... he seemed so… passionate about what he was saying." While another thought enters her mind, _"Maybe it has something to do with his sister…"_

Yet, the older girl simply chuckles, "Well maybe he just really liked that song! I mean, I've seen Lola get emotional over seeing the 'perfect dress' for her pageants!"

" _I wish it were that easy Leni… but from what I've seen, there's something Lincoln's not telling us."_ Suddenly, the memory of the night they had spent together re-enters her mind. _"Maybe something he told me could help…"_ the thoughts remain blurred however; save for one sign of affection he had given.

With that, the duo turns onto a familiar street and continues to walk along, allowing a small home to come into view.

" _Well whatever that was, I'm sure mom and dad will know something… I hope."_ Luna mentally sighs, before she declares, "Anyways, we're home Leni."

"Great!" Leni cheerfully shouts, "I can't wait to tell dad what we did today!" She then cheerfully skips into their home.

" _I hope dad won't mind…"_ Luna quietly thinks, while she simply walks in. _"Especially after what he said about him..."_

 _A few moments later…_

"You did what?!" Lynn Sr.'s voice echoes through the home while he slams his hands on the kitchen table, startling the two young women sitting across from him as well as his wife.

"We bought him some food and the cutest little clothes!" Leni cheerfully responds, not noticing her father's anger as she does so. "You should've seen how adorable he looked in them!"

The man leans back in his chair and pinches the bridge of his nose, "And right after I told you girls about just how tight our finances are? What were you thinking?!" His voice fills with annoyance. "Did you even listen to a single word I was saying?!"

Yet, luckily for the two girls, Luna is able to pick up the cues, and holds her arms down in shame, "Sorry dad… but if it makes it better, we only bought him a burger and fries from Burpin' Burger, and the clothes we got him we're on sale from Grand Army."

The man then takes a deep breath to calm himself down, though he holds his sturdy demeanor and crossed arms.

"Girls, I'm not angry at you." The man slowly takes another deep breath, before looking at the young women with sincere and caring eyes, "I'm annoyed because of the principle of your actions." He adjusts his posture and continues with a serious voice, "I know you two meant well, and I'm glad you followed my orders by not bringing the younger girls along…"

Though Luna can't help but think, _"_ _Wait_ _… dangit, we forgot Lucy!"_

"But I really don't want you to spend your money like that." He gazes into his young daughter's eyes, "Like I said, your mother and I have a hard enough time taking care of all of you girls. Giving a random orphan what money you're able to save up might cause him to start relying on us." He then sighs, before grabbing their hands, and glancing at his quiet wife, the woman holding a regretful posture. "Girls, I love you all, but we're not ready to raise another child yet."

Rita, despite her silence during her husband's rant, speaks up, "Do you girls understand?"

The two young women nod.

"Good." The woman takes a deep breath; "Now with that out of the way," She looks at her husband, with the man nodding, "How did your day with him go?"

Leni immediately answers with a joy-filled tone, "It was, like, totes awesome!" she waves her hand naïvely, before beginning to count on her fingers, "We, like, went to the best burger place ever!" She then holds up three fingers, "Then we went to the mall!"

Rita cuts her daughter off, "Leni, we know that already." She looks on with an understanding gaze, "We just wanna know what else you guys did."

"The only other thing we did we visit the music store." Luna's voice goes low as the memory of their jam session rushes back to the forefront of her thoughts. "We played some music and stuff. After that, he decided that he just wanted to go home." Though even she can't help but think, _"H_ _e sung_ _his heart out too…"_

"Yeah, like he even sung for us!" Leni goes, flaring her arms as she does, "It was amazing what he could do!"

"Oh?" Rita raises an eyebrow in surprise, while her husband's expression remains as deadpan, "And how was his singing?"

"It was nice. I'd like him in my band when I start one." The younger girl goes, _"It was like he had practiced that…"_

Lynn Sr. crosses his arms, "Look, I know you girls really like singing and stuff." He then mutters, "I mean, you girls do it a lot in the morning." He then looks at them, "But I'm more concerned about his behavior around my daughters rather than what you girls did with him."

" _Of course…"_ Rita looks at her daughters, "Of course Lynn, of course." She speaks with a soft tone, "So, how was he? Just as good as he was when he was here, am I right?"

"He was like, totally cute and nice!" Leni throws her arms out for emphasis.

Luna nods in agreement, "He was reluctant at first, but besides that, he was like a little angel."

"Is there anything we should be worried about? Rita nervously holds her hands close, "Like, did he threaten or try to hurt either of you?"

"No." Luna shakes her head, "He was a bit hard-headed, but I think he's safe to be around." Though she can't help but think, _"Though… he's really introverted… like he really doesn't want to talk to us…"_

"So what do you think we should do, dear?" Rita turns to her husband with a hope-filled voice.

The man hesitates for a moment, _"I don't think this is a good idea…"_ He looks at the two girls sitting across from him, _"But they're all right, and they say he's safe to be around…"_ And so, he sighs, "All right then. I'll allow the younger girls to visit him."

"Really?!" A young voice shouts, as Lana slides down the nearby stairs and hops off, landing right at the entrance to the kitchen as she does so. "Does that mean I can go see him?!" Then, before anyone can react, the young girl rushes in and jumps into her father's arms. "Can I?! Can I, please?!"

"Calm down Lana, calm down." Lynn Sr. puts the young girl back on the floor and affectionately rubs her head, "I'm ok with you and the others going to go see that boy."

"Yay!" Lana cheers, though her father squats down to her height, "However… I'm still hesitant on you girls going alone, so…" He glances at his wife, "How about you girls go in pairs when you go to meet him? So if anything bad happens, there will be someone to call us, is that fair?"

Rita nods in agreement, "I think so."

" _Good."_ The man then stands up, "If you wanna go see Lincoln again, you have my permission. Just make sure one of your sisters, besides Lily, is going with you, ok?"

Lana nods, "Got it." Before she turns around and runs back up the stairs. No doubt to find someone to go with her… only for her to slide down the stairs again and run back up to the four, "How about you two?!"

Leni shakes her head, before raising her shopping bag, "Sorry, I gotta try my new dress on! It's gonna make all my friends so jealous!"

"Aww." Lana pouts, before perking up and looking at Luna, "What about you?"

Luna shakes her head, "Sorry… I got some music stuff to do." While she thinks, _"And I gotta find out what the name of that song was. Maybe I'll be able to find something out about him if I do."_

"Dangit." Lana mutters, before turning around and rushing back up the stairs… again."

"Well, I guess we're done here." Luna stands up, and follows, with Leni following her soon after.

"So what do you think Lynn?" Rita turns to her husband and asks with another hopeful tone.

"Not sure." The man calmly answers, "But if what the girls are saying is true… I'm willing to give the boy a chance." Yet, even he can't help but think, _"I wonder what having a son would be like…"_

 _Meanwhile…_

"Welcome home!" Mrs. Sherman greets with a raised right hand, while the other holds onto Stacy. "How was your day?"

Lincoln mentally sighs, "It was fine. Those girls were nice..." he walks over to the duo, and takes Stacy in his left arm, "Did you put the others to sleep Ms. Sherman?"

"Of course I did!" Mrs. Sherman smiles, as she lets the boy take the young girl, "But you know how Stacy is, she always has trouble going to bed unless you give her one of your bedtime stories."

Stacy follows along quietly, clutching her stuffed animal as she does so.

"Ok then..." Lincoln then walks away, guiding the young girl upstairs.

"Oh, and one more thing." The old woman goes, causing the young boy to look back at her, "After you put her to bed, why don't you come downstairs? I'd love to hear about what you did today."

Lincoln simply nods, before continuing on his way. And a few moments later, he is tucking the young girl in, just as he had done for years prior.

"Where'd you go Linky? We were wondering if you left like Libby..." Stacy whispers as the young boy pushes the covers over the girl.

"Don't worry Stacy... I'm not going any time soon. I just went out for a bit is all." He then takes a seat by her bed, _"Though... those girls..."_

"Are you gonna read me a bedtime story?" The young girl quietly asks, silently hoping that the boy had not forgotten their nightly tradition.

 _"Dangit."_ The young boy thinks, _"I haven't written a story in days..."_ he quickly pulls out a small notebook and nods, "Of course I haven't." He then rubs her head, "now close your eyes and I'll start."

"Ok..." She meekly responds.

 _"Well... let's see if she doesn't remember this..."_ he the takes a deep breath and begins, "There once were two children..."

"Aww, haven't you said this one before?" The young girl whines, turning towards the boy as she does so.

 _"Dangit Lincoln, think fast!"_ He chuckles, "Heh, you almost got me, but the difference is, these two children lived with their parents and two siblings in a nice home..."

Stacy listens intently, her interest beginning to peak.

"But one day, an evil man came and broke into their home!" Lincoln goes, his voice filling with painful weakness, "He stole their parents and brother and sister, hoping to have his way and gain the wealth they sought to protect!"

"And so, the two kids went out to save their family." He pushes onward, noticing that Stacy's soft brown eyes were slowly beginning to close. _"Just gotta go a bit further..."_

"Along the way, they met a man of the stars." Lincoln motions out the window with that. The soft sunset had slowly faded away, allowing cool moonlight to begin entering the room, "He promised them the world and their family back... so long as they went after the staff of ages."

Excitement begins to fill the boy's voice, "And so, they followed the path he had set for them, collecting the four fragments of he rod, facing the dangerous trials that protected each!" Stacy then snuggles herself close, allowing her blacker to envelop her. Though, Lincoln doesn't notice, "Finally, they presented the competed staff to the being, and demanded their payment." His voice goes low, "The man denied them however, and chose instead to attempt to banish them. However, to save their family, they fought back." More joy fills his voice, "And after they fought, they received their reward; their family back." He closes the notebook.

And with that, Lincoln pulls the covers over the now sleeping young girl, _"It is done."_ Lincoln then turns and walks out of the room, before heading downstairs and walking into the orphanage dining room.

"Ok Ms. Sherman, I put her to sleep..." he calmly goes.

"How are you feeling Lincoln?" The woman asks, while motioning for the boy to sit down across from her, "And why don't you take a seat?"

Lincoln complies and shrugs, "I feel fine I guess..." the young boy's gaze immediately starts to wander.

"Oh? Did going out with those girls help at all?" She tilts her head in curiosity.

The boy shrugs again, "Not really. I mean, they were nice, gave me food and I thanked them." His eyes then fall out a nearby window, while his thoughts catch up, " _To be honest... they almost remind me of, her..."_

She then motions towards the bag he had left by the door, "And what's in there?"

"Oh, the blonde one decided that I looked cute in these, so she decided the buy me a week's worth of orange polo's and blue jeans…" He quickly grabs the bag and brings it over, allowing the woman to look inside.

"Wow… these are really nice!" She quips, a soft smile forming on her lips, "I take it you left a good impression on them huh?"

Lincoln shrugs, "I guess… I mean we didn't do much together."

"Still… it's something." She hands the bag back to the boy, before running her hand through his soft, white hair, "I'm proud of you Lincoln. Those girls really seem to care about you."

"Thanks…" The boy looks away, hops to his feet, and begins to walk away. "Anyways, it's getting late. I'm gonna go to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman then watches as the young boy simply walks up the stairs, _"I hope he's all right…"_

And yet, Lincoln can't help but let his mind fall into thought, _"Those girls… they really seemed to care about me, didn't they… yeah, they didn't really leave much of an impression on me but…"_ His thoughts trail off as he walks into his bedroom. He stands in the doorway for a moment, half-expecting Lucy to suddenly appear and startle him, though after a minute passes, he quietly walks inside.

He drops the bag of clothes on his old bed and crawls into Liberty's, _"Maybe I should give those girls more credit… they didn't have to take me out for the day…"_ He begins to close his eyes with that, _"A trip to Burpin'_ _Burger_ _… clothes shopping… and then the music store."_

Immediately, the thought of him losing control begins to fill his mind, and he mentally kicks himself for it. _"Dangit, why the heck did I sing that song?!"_ The boy forces himself up and lets out a deep breath, _"That was the last song…"_ wordless and thoughtlessly, he sits up. Slowly, his hand goes into his shirt and pulls out a small, brass, heart-shaped locket.

*Click* A soft sound emanates from the worn switch, before the two halves part, allowing a familiar image to glow in the milky moonlight.

Soft tears begin to fall down the boy's cheeks, as he clutches it close to his chest, _"Those girls…"_

 _Back at the Loud House…_

"Lola!" Lana shouts as she rushes into her shared bedroom, "Are you busy any time tomorrow?! There's something we gotta do!"

*Groan* "Lana?" Lola tiredly gets up, "What is it? I'm trying to get my beauty sleep!"

The older twin looks at her sister in confusion, "Uhh, Lola, it's only nine o'clock?"

Lola scoffs at her, "Lana, you gotta go to sleep early if you wanna look as good as I do." She then motions towards her pristine hair and perfect skin.

"Whatever sis." Lana simply shakes her head, "I just wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow."

"And why's that?" Lola throws her bed sheets over herself, before rolling away.

Lana then flares her arms up in excitement, "Dad said we could go visit Lincoln!"

"And?" Lola goes, motioning for Lana to go on.

She responds by rubbing the back of her head, "And well, dad won't let us go unless two of us go together." She then looks at her twin with hope-filled eyes, "So will ya come with me sis? Pretty please?"

The princess rolls back and gets up on her feet, "So, you're telling me that dad will let us go visit that dirty boy that spent the night yesterday?"

"Yeah! Wanna come with me?!" Excitement builds in Lana's body; while she holds her hands close, ready to burst from the anticipation.

Lola simply begins to laugh, "No! I don't wanna."

"What? Why?" Lana whines, disappointment filling her voice.

"Because he said my tantrums weren't effective at all!" Lola turns and faces her mirror, "He said I was getting too angry and he wasn't scared at all!" She motions towards herself, "He insulted me, and you know how much I hate being insulted, Lana!"

"So? You know you can't always get your way Lola." Lana crosses her arms, "Plus, you insult people all the time! Why's it such a bad thing when someone else does it back to ya?!"

Lola leans back, before scoffing at her twin, "I know that!" her voice trails off, _"He just made me feel like I had no control…"_

"So why does it bother you so much?" Lana calmly asks.

"Because, why do you care?" Lola holds her arms flung back and her voice nears the verge of screaming, "I don't wanna visit him and that's final."

"Grr." Lana growls, before turning around and crossing her arms, "Fine, I'm sure someone else would love to visit him!" And with that, the older twin walks out of the room, while the younger simply begins to admire herself in the mirror.

" _Man, what's got up her tushie?"_ Lana angrily thinks, _"She usually loves hanging out with me!"_ The young girl then turns and looks around the loud upstairs hallway. _"Dangit, now who am I gonna ask?!"_ She quickly steps into the room across from hers… only to find Lisa busy working on one of her experiments, with Lily sleeping soundly in her bed. _"Ok they're definitely off the table…"_

She sighs and turns around.

"What's wrong Lana?" a voice calls, causing the young girl to look up in surprise. "What's with the frog face?!" The young woman then throws her head back in laughter.

"It's nothing Luan…" She looks away and grabs her arm, "I just wanted to go visit Lincoln tomorrow and well…I don't know who to ask!"

"Same here." Luan laughs, "I've been meaning to go visit a white-haired orphan boy, but I just don't know who to ask!"

Lana's eyes go wide in shock, "You wanna go tomorrow too?!"

"Heh, yeah." The older sister takes the younger girl in her arms; "I'll take ya tomorrow. I wanna make some orphans laugh after all!"

"That's great! Thanks!" The young girl's voice fills with joy!

"But you gotta get some sleep first, all right?" The older girl holds her finger out, as if jokingly scolding her.

Lana then throws her arms around her sister, "Thank you!" Before jumping from her arms and running into her room, "Goodnight Luan!"

"Heh, goodnight Lana." Luan chuckles, before she does the same.

 _The next day…_

"So you're gonna show him the pipe you've been working on, huh?" Luan tilts her head in curiosity, while the duo walks along the old stone path leading towards the orphanage.

"Yeah!" Lana holds up a small section of piping, no doubt held tightly together but whatever welding work the five-year-old could take advantage of.

"Heh." Luan chuckles, "Well I guess that's some **hot stuff**!" She then throws her head back in laughter, "Get it?"

Lana nods, "Yeah, I get it. What about you?"

The comedian pats her backpack, "I'm making it my mission to make those orphans laugh, and everything in this bag is gonna help me do it!"

And with that, the duo comes across the orphanage's gate.

"Ms. Paradigm's Home For Children?" The younger girl looks up at the sign, before turning to her sister, "What's a paradigm?"

"Well a paradigm is…" She thinks for a moment, "I think it means…" beforr quickly pulling out and checking her phone, only to immediately shove it back in her pocket. All before Lana can notice, "It means 'an example or something to follow'."

"Huh… cool." Lana shrugs and walks up to the front door, with Luan following close behind. And when the older girl steps onto the raised entrance, she rings the doorbell.

*Ding* *Dong*

A moment of silence passes, before the elderly director comes along and answers the door with, "Hello there!"

"Uhh, hey." Luan nervously greets, "Are you Mrs. Sherman?"

"Why yes, yes I am." The woman calmly responds.

"Great!" Lana flares her arms up in excitement, "We're here cause we wanna see Lincoln!"

The woman's hopeful gaze immediately fades, "Oh… did your parents send you this time?" She sighs, "I suspected people would start getting bored of having to come here…" She stands up as straight as she can, "I promise, I'll reimburse-"

"We have no idea what you're talking about." Luan politely cuts her off, "We just wanted to meet him and the other orphans is all."

"Oh, you must be the daughters of that nice man and woman that came in yesterday." She steps aside and motions for them to enter, "Please, come in, come in. Lincoln is in the backyard with the children. Though, from how quiet it is, please don't make too much noise."

"No promises!" Lana goes, "Our last name is 'Loud' after all!"

"Thank you Mrs. Sherman." Luan takes Lana's hand in her own, "We'll do our best." And with that, the duo simply steps inside.

She softly chuckles, "Very well. Still, it'd be nice if you respect him as it stands. The children love it when Lincoln tells them one of his stories. They really help keep things calm around here."

"What are you talking about?" Lana tilts her head in curiosity.

"Oh nothing. I'll leave you two be for now. If you need me, please, come to my office." And with that, the director walks back into her abode, leaving the two girls to look around the old orphanage foyer.

"So this is where Lincoln lives?" Lana looks around in awe. Her gaze slowly falls upon the faced photos of children, posing with miscellaneous adults- no doubt those that had adopted the child- as well as oversized group photos. Those have the children all awkwardly standing in a line, with two adults at both ends- no doubt younger versions of the orphanage directors. "Creepy…"

"Don't say that Lana." Luan speaks with an uncharacteristic seriousness, "Just because this place is dark and quiet doesn't mean you can say it aloud! People live here ya know!"

Lana immediately flinches.

"Just because I make jokes about everything doesn't mean I don't know how to show restraint… there is only one day for that…"

Both girls shiver at the idea of the events of April First.

And so, Luan guides Lana over to the backyard door, before saying, "Remember, we gotta take this slow. We don't wanna scare him and the kids, ok?"

Lana nods in understanding, "I thought humor had to be quick to work though?" before she tilts her head in confusion.

"While I don't act like it, I can tell when someone is in need of a laugh." Luan rubs the back of her head, "And well, I kinda felt that Lincoln really needs one." She then slowly pushes the door open, allowing a soft voice to enter the room.

"And then, the young girl took the staff from its seal, causing the nearby lost souls to crowd around the clearing." The boy's voice goes low, as if trying to build suspense for what was to come next. "And yet, Mabel did not back down. She stood atop the seal, clutching the mystical staff, prepared to fight for her hope." The voice pauses for a moment, "And yet, a single lost soul stepped forward. Upon seeing who it was, she fell to her knees and whispered, 'D-Dipper?!' before tears flowed down her cheeks."

" _Here we go."_ The older girl takes a deep breath, before carefully pushing into the backyard. Causing the children's eyes to fall upon both her and her sister. "Hi there."

"Hey." Lincoln stands up, and turns to the children, "Why don't you guys go play?"

"Aww!" The group of children groans in unison, before a boy speaks up, "We wanna hear what happens next!"

"I promise I'll tell more later, Big brother Linky's got something to deal with right now though, ok?" His voice softens as he finishes, "So please, go play."

"Fine…" A girl responds, before the children then get up and begin to run around the yard.

With that done, Lincoln turns to his two visitors with a serious gaze, "Now then, why are you two here?"

Lana responds with a smile, "I wanted to know what you thought of my welding work!" She then holds up the segment of piping with pride in her face.

Immediately, Lincoln's harsh gaze softens into a kind smile, "Heh, sure." He then takes the object in his hands, "Hmm, this is pretty nice for something your age."

"Thanks!" Lana cheerfully responds, "It took me an entire week of work to get it done!"

 _"She must really like this stuff..."_ Lincoln then takes a knee in front of her and motions towards a small opening in the metal, "But you gotta make it air tight." He then stands up and walks over to a nearby hose, before plugging the darn thing in, "Or else…" he then turns the valve, causing water to rush through the unsealed joints, creating a mini sprinkler, "This happens."

"Oh… ok…" Lana goes in defeat.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. He unhooks the pipe and hands the pipe back to the girl, "Your welding work is all right for a… how old are you anyways?"

"I'm five!" Lana softly holds her arm I'm embarrassment.

"For a five-year-old." He then affectionately rubs her head.

"Thanks Lincoln!" Lana throws her arms around the boy.

"No problem." The boy returns the hug, before looking at the girl's sister with a protective gaze. "Now what about you?"

Luan points to herself, "I wanna turn your frown upside-down!" She quips with a smile, "It's my job to make even the saddest people smile!"

Lincoln pinches the bridge of his nose. "So you came here to annoy me with more bad puns?"

"Nope!" Luan goes into her bag and pulls out her rubber chicken. "I've got a whole bag of goodies to help me out today!"

"No." Lincoln crosses his arms with that, "Your jokes are just gonna-"

"Come on Lincoln, why don't you give her a chance?" Cristina walks over, "I just checked the schedule, and because you did all the chores already, there is literally nothing left I can give you." She puts her clipboard at her side, "You deserve a break."

"I'm fine." The boy scoffs, "I need to take care of these guys." He then motions towards the nearby children.

Cristina shakes her head, "Do it, or else I'll give you even more menial jobs I can find."

Lincoln shakes his head, "I already do the menial jobs."

"Then I'll..." Cristina hesitates for a moment, "Whatever, just do it, please. It's unhealthy for you to be working all the time." She motions towards the children playing nearby, "I'll watch them for now. You don't wanna leave a bad example for them after all."

 _"I don't need to... I need to make sure these kids..."_ the boy hesitated for a moment, before letting out a deep breath, "Ugh fine, but let's do it somewhere else. I'd rather the kids not see whatever you have in mind. Come up to my room."

"Can I come?!" Lana cheerfully asks, eliciting a nod from the boy, while Luna responds, "You got it!" Luan goes cheerfully. And with that, the trio walks upstairs, with Cristina following behind a few moments later.

* * *

"Well, here's my humble abode I guess." Lincoln lazily motions to the room around him.

"Well it looks like you've got a **twin** room!" Luan puns.

Lincoln can't help but feel a sharp pain in his chest at that joke.

"No laugh?" Luan shrugs, before pulling a puppet out of her bag, "Maybe Mr. Coconuts will get something out of ya!" Then, she secures the man to her hand and speaks through him, "I can't believe I finally found a human to help me!"

Though, this time Lincoln's expression remains emotionless, _"The only person who ever got me to laugh was my sister..."_

"Tough crowd!" Mr. Coconuts goes, before turning to his partner, "What do you think we should do, Luan?!"

"I know!" She then tosses the doll away, "How about-"

"Ooo!" Lana goes as she pulls a strange comic from a nearby drawer, "Look at what I found!"

"Hey! Put that back!" Lincoln shouts, before snatching the book, "That's mine and I hid it for a reason!"

"Ooo why?!" Lana shouts in excitement, "I wanna know!"

"Yeah, tell us!" Luan joins in.

"No!" Lincoln shouts, before pointing at the door, "Now get out!" Then, he shoves the duo out of his room and slams the door behind him.

"Well… I guess we didn't leave the best impression huh?" Lana quips.

Her sister shakes her head, "Yeah… I think we should try again later…"

"What happened you two?!" Cristina shouts in surprise, "When Mrs. Sherman told me girls would be coming by to spend time with Lincoln, I thought he wouldn't end up slamming the door in their faces!"

"We sorta went digging a bit much..." Luan awkwardly rubs the back of her head, "And he got mad, so he kicked us out."

Cristina then facepalms, "Dangit, ugh, I'll talk to him. Try not to get into trouble you two."

The two girls remain silent as they watch her walk inside.

"Does Lincoln hate us?" Lana asks with a childish hope.

 _"I don't know..."_ Luan puts on a reassuring smile, "Don't worry Lana, he's probably just tired and stuff. He'll be better when he walks out."

"Dangit!" A voice cries out, before Chandler walks out of the bathroom, "Mrs. Sherman! Bathroom's clogged again!"

"Step aside! This is my specialty!" Lana shouts, before bolting into the bathroom, much to Chandler's surprise, "What the?!"

Luan shrugs, "Heh, well if Lana's gonna be doing that, I might as well go help the orphans. I'm sure they'd love to have some laughs!" And with that, the comedian walks away.

* * *

"Lincoln, what just happened?!" Cristina calmly greets as she steps into the room, bringing along an annoyed air with her.

"Those girls started messing with my stuff, so I kicked them out of my room." Lincoln clutches the comic tightly.

Cristina stares at the boy for a moment, before shaking her head, "What's going on with you?"

"What's going on with me? My sister just got adopted and I'm getting annoyed by random girls coming along to visit!" He turns around and flares his arms up in frustration, "All I want to do is be left alone!"

"Lincoln, those girls care for you." Cristina remains calm; her demeanor exuding her years of experience, "I mean seriously, those girls don't have to come by, but they chose to do so." Then, with a low voice, she finishes, "Liberty wouldn't wanna see you like this."

"Don't talk about Liberty! She was my sister!" Lincoln counters, annoyance filling his voice. "She was perfect, and I'm just the leftovers!"

The red-haired girl hesitates for a moment, carefully making sure that she would word her next line properly. "You know... I've always known how close you were to Liberty, and jokingly, I wondered if you were something more." She takes a deep breath, "But Lincoln... you know that's not true."

"Yes it is!" Lincoln snaps back, "I don't deserve this!"

"You know that's not true and you know it." Cristina goes, her voice filling with a commanding care, "You need to move on. Liberty would want you to."

"No… she'd want me to go and look for her!" Lincoln turns away from her and crosses his arms.

"Liberty was far from perfect, but even she would want you to help these girls..." Cristina sighs, "Look, I'm only saying this because we're worried about you. The kids are starting to get worried that you won't come home one night, and these girls really seem to wanna help you out. Why don't you at least give them that chance?"

"Whatever, just get out of my room." Lincoln responds, and Cristina complies.

After that, Lincoln sits down and stares at the comic for a moment, " _Liberty was perfect... and these girls are just trying to make me forget about her..."_

"Why do you like those stupid things so much?!" A young Liberty crosses her arms in annoyance, "I mean, all you do is sit around and read those things!"

"Well it could be worse Libby." Lincoln closes the comic with a shrug, "I mean, all I'm doing is reading. It's not like we're playing one of your crazy games and stuff."

Liberty rubs her chin for a moment, "That gives me an idea!"

"For what?" The slightly older boy raises an eyebrow in interest.

"A game!" Liberty flares her arms in excitement.

Lincoln turns back to the comic and continues to read, "Uh-huh, ok then? What game is it?"

"Lincoln ball." The girl crosses her arms with a sinister smile.

"And how do you play?" Lincoln nonchalantly asks. Yet, before he can react, Liberty snatches the comic from his hands, "Like this!" She then skips over to the door; "You gotta catch me if you can!"

Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock as his sister rushes out of their shared room. "Liberty! Get back here!" The boy then hops to his feet and gives chase.

The duo rushes down their old home's stairs, before turning and running into the back yard. The female twin makes good ground, though the male twin quickly closes the gap, "Give me back my stuff Liberty!"

"Come on Lincoln! You gotta chill out!" The girl then jumps over a rather large rock, before banking right.

Lincoln, however, can't react fast enough, causing him to trip on the rock. Immediately, he falls with that, before skidding through a pile of dried mud.

"Haha!" Liberty laughs, and holds the comic up victoriously, "I win!"

*Whimper* the young boy responds.

Yet, the girl doesn't notice, "Haha! Now come on Lincoln, now it's your turn to chase me!" She steps over to her brother, allowing his soft sobs to become more audible.

"Liberty... why?" Lincoln looks at his twin with begging eyes.

"What's wrong Linky?" The young girl tilts her head in confusion, "We're just playing a game..."

*Whimper* "No we're not!" Lincoln cries, before rolling over, revealing a scraped knee.

Shock overcomes the young girl "Wha- I'm sorry Linky…"

"Why'd you hurt me Libby?" Tears flow down the young boy's eyes.

Liberty quietly tears up as well, "I just thought you wanted to play…"

* * *

" _That was the first time Liberty got grounded..."_ A moment passes, before the boy shakes his head, stands up and shoves the comic book back where it was, _"Maybe I should give those girls another chance… they did seem to wanna actually spend time with me after all…"_ He takes a deep breath and walks out of his room… only to come face-to-face with Lana.

"Lincoln! You feelin' better?" She cheerfully asks, while rubbing whatever miscellaneous dirt she had managed to get on herself off; as well as she could at least.

"Yeah, I am." He carefully picks the girl up and hoists her on his shoulder, "What about you?"

"I just remodeled the bathroom!" The young girl goes in excitement.

"Really?!" He affectionate walks over, _"Heh, a guy can dream."_ He then walks over and opens it up… only to find a surprising site. The decrepit walls and broken toilet glowed with shine, as if they were as good as new!

"Wow! Thanks Lana!" Lincoln affectionately rubs the girl's head, "Now let's go find Luan."

And then they go downstairs.

"So how do you stop a rhino from charging?!" Luan asks while standing in front of the orphans, "You take away its credit card!"

Lincoln can't help but look at the group of laughing children, before looking at the smiling Lana, _"These girls might not be so bad after all..."_

"So a doctor walks into a room." Luan starts, looking at Lincoln as she does so. "And his patient asked, 'How long do I have doc?'."

"And what'd he say?" Lincoln softly asks.

"Five."

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "Five what?"

With the biggest grin she can muster, Luan responds, "Four, three, two!"

And despite what most of his senses were shouting at that moment, Lincoln can't help, but break out in laughter.

" _Awesome."_ Luan smiles at the white-haired boy.

 _"Maybe these girls aren't so bad after all..."_

8-5'19 12-1-21-7-8-9-14-7! 20-8-1-20'19 1 7-15-15-4 19-9-7-14! 9 23-15-14-4-5-18 8-15-23 20-8-5 15-20-8-5-18 19-9-19-20-5-18-19 23-9-12-12 20-1-11-5 20-8-9-19 4-5-22-5-12-15-16-13-5-14-20

 **A/N And that was chapter 7! I hope you guys enjoyed! I apologize if this seemed rushed/short in any way. My mother is in the hospital as I write this and I just spent the entire day using my original writing tablet (The thing I started writing on) to complete this as it can easily be decontaminated. A severe case of Writer's Block didn't help this chapter's progress. Also, I start summer classes this week, however, since it's only twice a week, they shouldn't impact the update schedule.**

 **As always, please suggest ways on how I can improve!**

 **As always, I thank: Wolvenstrom, Insane Master Writer Studio, and Exotos135 for all of their help!**

 **Guest Replies (C6):**

 **C6 Guest 1: Thanks mate! I wanted to get passed the annoying part of the reveal by having it be debated on as Lincoln's behavior is brought into question. And Adoption will definitely be difficult to pull off. As for your second point, I hope this chapter did a good job addressing it!**

 **Help: If you're worried that I'll just up and quit writing cause I get hate, (Which I don't get any of by the way) or legitimate criticism, you have nothing to worry about. The only thing that'll get me to quit is me finally cracking from pressure.**

 **C1 Guest: Yes, that was a shout out, and thanks!**

 **C2 Guest: Because things like that happen in real life, and sometimes it is for the best.**

 **Yolo: Thanks! I update every other week on Saturdays!**

 **C6 Guest 2: Here's the update mate.**


	8. Finding A Sibling

**A/N Hey guys! Man, this chapter isn't that late. (Realizes it's a week late). Well hey! I wanted to focus on S &T last week, that's why I pushed this back! Still, I hope it was worth the wait and hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Eight: Finding A Sibling

To many, the sound of a child's laughter is a mundane sight, not worthy of any attention given to it. And yet, to those that have learned its true value, it is intoxicating, beautiful, maybe even overwhelming.

And to Luan, Lincoln's laugh is just that, music to her ears.

"Haha!" The boy goes, throwing his head back in amusement as he does so.

"So did ya like it?!" Luan cheerfully leans in close, eager to hear the boy's response, "I worked really hard on getting this whole act together!"

It takes Lincoln a moment to calm his laughs into simple giggles, but when he finally does so, he looks the older girl in the eye and puts on a sincere smile, "Luan, I've gotta be honest with you, that was horrible and makes me question my morals." He shakes his head, though who he's disappointed at isn't clear, "But I've gotta admit, haha, it was a pretty good attempt."

Now, the idea of her puns only being 'good attempts' would get to Luan. And yet, for some strange reason, Luan can't help but smile with the boy, and join in his laughter. Then again, what kind of comedian would she be if she couldn't join in on the smiles she brings?

So instead, Luan puts on the biggest smile she can muster, before holding herself and laughing, "Haha! Still, you laughed! So I'm counting that as a win in my book!"

"Heh, all right then." Lincoln takes a seat on the orphanage steps, just above the rest of the children, "So, what else do ya got planned?"

Luan rubs her chin for a moment, "Well, we could-"

"I know!" Lana jumps forward and pulls out of small wrench, "I can show you guys how to cool off in the summer with only a garden hose!"

The children tilt their heads in curiosity, before one of the girls asks, "Uhh… how would you do that?"

Immediately, the five-year-old runs over to the nearby garden hose and pulls it over to the group. "Will ya help me do it Luan?"

"Is this gonna be fun?" The young woman takes the rubber tube in her hands for a moment, before carefully beginning to unwind it.

"Or will I have to kick you out?" Lincoln adds, crossing his arms as he does so, _"I'm may be giving these girls a chance to prove themselves, but that doesn't mean I'll let them hurt the kids just to amuse me."_

Lana then responds, "Yeah, it's fun and safe for everyone!" And then drops the pipe on the ground and rushes back to the valve, pulling out her wrench as she does so, "And after you set everything up, you pull!"

Immediately, a torrent of water rushes through the pipe, causing it to launch up in the air for a moment, before raining down cold liquid upon the watching orphans.

"Now that's what I call a **shower!"** Luan throws her head back in laughter, eliciting giggles from her captive audience and a small laugh from Lincoln.

"So what's next?!" Lincoln quickly asks as he does his best to shield the children from the rain. But when a group of children wants to play out in the rain, well, the expected happens… Lincoln ends up having to just sit back and make sure nothing bad happens.

"Well, we could-" Luan starts.

 _ **A Few Hours Later…**_

"Haha." Lincoln laughs, holding his belly and throwing his head back as he does so. He quickly wipes a tear from his eye and regains his composure, "Heh I'll give you that one, Luan, I'll give you that."

"I told you I'd get you to laugh!" Luan beams with pride, "No ones able to keep a straight face when I tell the platypus joke!"

"Yeah, yeah." Lincoln waves the young woman off, "You got me, I didn't expect that thing to just come out of nowhere and kick that pharmacist's butt!"

"All in a day's work." Lana goes, "Luan's jokes aren't the best usually, but when she has a gem, she's got a diamond." The five-year-old then spins her wretch around for a quick moment, before throwing it up in the air and catching it with her holster, eliciting laughs and clapping from the nearby children.

"Yay!" The children clap in excitement while Lana takes her bow. An hour ago, Lana decided to put on a show for the kids using her tools, in order to allow Luan to work on breaking Lincoln.

"Heh, well it looks like you guys did a good job today." Lincoln quips, smiling at Luan as he does so, "I haven't seen these kids clapping for anyone besides me."

Luan tilts her head in curiosity, "Oh? Why's that?"

"That's a bit hard to say." Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "These guys and I are just used to people coming over and leaving. Whenever someone tries to bond with a visitor, well…" he glances at the children as they continue to watch the plumber girl, "They always end up disappointed."

For a moment, Luan turns to the children and simply watches the way they laugh. She had only started Funny business a few months prior and had seen plenty of children laugh. And yet, even she can tell that the orphans haven't had a genuine laugh together in a long time. "Wow…"

Lincoln sighs, "Well…"

"Kids! Bed time!" Mrs. Sherman shouts, her voice echoing out the open backdoor

" _Right on cue_." Lincoln let's out a deep breath, "Thanks for coming over today."

"The pleasure was all ours!" Luan quickly perks up, "I just love givin' away laughter!"

"Heh, that's great." Lincoln smiles as well, before standing up and turning to the group of children. Instinctually, they turn to Lincoln, awaiting his command.

"Ok kids, you heard the woman!" He then takes position at the top of the stairs and motions for the children to enter.

"Aww!" They grown in unison, though still follow the boy's orders. And one-by-one, they file back into the home, leaving only the three older children in the yard.

"Heh, well I guess we'll be goin' too." Lana stretches for a moment, trying to loosen her sore muscles. "Would ya mind if we came again?"

Lincoln looks at the young plumber for a moment and smiles. "Sure Lana, I wouldn't mind at all." He affectionately rubs the young girl's hair.

Lana then cheerfully hugs the boy, "Thanks Lincoln! Thanks for letting us come over!"

"Haha." He chuckles and returns the hug, "Thanks for coming over you two.

"The please was all our." Luan gives a thumbs up.

"Yeah! No one ever wants to see my plumber tricks!" Lana adds, clutching the boy even tighter for a moment, before letting go and stepping back to join her sister.

Lincoln simply nods in response.

"Linc-y?" A young girl walks up to the boy, clutching her stuffed rabbit as she does so.

The young boy wordlessly grabs her hand, "Come on Stacy, let's put you to bed." He looks at the two visitors one more time, "Goodnight girls." Before he turns and guides the young girl back into the home.

"I like that kid." Luan takes Lana's hand in her own, "He's a big softie that just needed to take a break!"

"You mean like Lori?" The young girl looks up surprise.

"Yeparoonie!" The older girl squats down to Lana's height and grabs at her cheek, "I think he liked you too! You were so cute!"

Lana quickly pushes her sister away and blushes, "Whatever I am not cute!"

"Yeah you are!"

"Whatever!"

Mrs. Sherman then sticks her head out the backdoor, quickly checking to make sure that no child was left in the backyard. "Oh, you're still here." She smiles, before calmly approaching the young girls, "Thank you for coming today."

Luan waves her off, "Nah, it was nothin'."

"Yeah!" Lana adds, "Its summer vacation after all!"

"Still, I can't thank you enough." She humbly lowers her head, as if trying to hide a shame she had for long time hidden, "Ever since his sister got adopted, well, he hasn't-"

"Wait what?!" Lana flares her arms in surprise, "His sister got adopted?!"

The woman nods, "I see, your parents didn't tell you…" She hardens her stance and continues, "I apologize, but that is all I'll say on the matter. It's extremely personal to him."

Lana raises her hand to object… only for Luan to place her hand over the youngster's mouth, silencing her dissent.

"No problem, if anyone understands privacy, it's us." Luan waves her off, "We come from a really big family. The fact that we get any time to ourselves is so amazing I guess you could call it, an **Amazon**!"

Mrs. Sherman remains silent for a moment, before ignoring Luan's terrible pun and continuing, "Very well then." She speaks l with a relieved voice, "As I was saying, Lincoln hasn't really smiled since she left. So I thank you for making him laugh." She then looks at Lana. "And I thank you for redoing the upstairs bathroom. That old thing was in desperate need of repairs, but I have been unable to find the funds to do so."

"No problem Miss! Lincoln helped me with my welding work, so it was the least I could do!" Lana holds up the pipe, though this time it's joints were now completely welded shut.

"Of course." She gives the duo a soft smile, "Thank you for visiting, and please, get home safely." She turns around and steps into the home, "I could never forgive myself if I let mere children get hurt."

And with that, the two girls walk out of the orphanage and begin the trip home. At this point, the moon glows over the town, while the millions of stars around home its light. And together, they illuminate the path for the young girls.

"So what'd you think of Lincoln?" Lana excitedly looks up towards her elder sister, before looking passed her and up at the night sky.

"He was cool." She looks up at the night sky, _"So Lincoln lost a sister? I guess that's why he flinched when I made a joke about the two beds in his room…"_ she then looks at the little girl. "What about you?"

Lana flares her free arm in excitement, "I loved it! I thought Lincoln was cool when he helped me with my mud, but now that he's helped me with my welding work and has a sister well…" she looks at Luan with a sincere smile, "He even awesomer! Do you think we'll ever meet her?"

" _From the sound of it, no._ " The young woman runs her hand through the blonde's short locks, "Who knows, maybe we will." Her voice is filled with a pained understanding, "Now let's get home mom and dad are probably getting worried about us."

Lana nods, and a few minutes later, the duo is back in their home.

"Huh." Luan raises an eyebrow in confusion while the duo stands in the quiet living room. "It's been thirty seconds and no ones screaming in pain."

"Yeah, it's weird." Lana hops on the couch, "But who-"

"Sibling meeting!" Lori angrily shouts, "Luan and Lana, get your butts over here!"

"Welp there's her lowl!" Luan throws her head back in laughter, "Lori's howl!"

Lana immediately facepalms from the sheer stupidity of the pun, "Let's get upstairs before she threatens to-" she starts, only for Lori to continue, "Get up here now or so help me I will turn you two into human pretzels!"

"Too late." Lana sighs.

"Nah, that threat's so old you could call it a geyser!" Luan laughs, before walking over to the stairs, "now come on Alana, we're burnin' nightlight!" And with that, the duo rushes up the stairs and into Lori and Leni's room.

"There you are!" Lori crosses her arms in annoyance, "You two are aware that sibling meetings start at nine PM sharp on Fridays, right?" Her voice is harsh and filled with anger.

"Sorry Lori." Luan responds, "Lana and I were just visitin' Lincoln and we **Lost track of time!"**

*Groan* The girls go in response.

Lori facepalms, as if she had expected more from the girl that can't control her puns, "Whatever, just sit down and listen up. We've got business to handle."

The duo complies and sits on the floor."

"So as you all know, our yearly family…" Lori starts, though none of the girls pay attention, most choosing to just sleep with their eyes open instead.

"You two went to visit Lincoln?" Lynn comes up from behind and throws her arms around them. "How'd you like it?"

"Yeah, he was nice!" Lana nods, fighting the urge to flare her arms in excitement as she does so.

"Nice!" Lynn speaks with a smile, "Lincoln seemed to be a pretty cool guy when I-"

"Hey!" Lori shouts, staring at the trio as she does so, "What's so important that you have to interrupt the meeting to talk about it?"

They look at each other for a moment, with none of them sure just how to talk to Lori.

"Well?"

Luan rubs the back of her head, "Well, we went to visit Lincoln today and we just got back from it."

"Look, if you guys wanna go visit some random boy, go ahead." Lori pinches the bridge of her nose, "But when we're in a meeting, you talk about the topic at hand, capiché?"

The girls nod in response.

"All right, since we still have time let, does anyone have any ideas they'd like to share?"

Leni raises her hand.

"Yes Leni?" Lori goes.

"Like, how about we all go to visit Lincoln? I mean, he's totes adorable!" The slightly younger girl holds her hands in close, as if suffering from a cuteness overload, "Plus, since most of us have met him already, I'm sure-"

Lori shakes her head, "Leni, that is literally one of the dumbest ideas you've ever had." She stares at the girl, "You guys have better things to do than to just waste your time visiting some random, dirty boy Lynn found in the street."

"But-" Luna tries to speak up, only for Lori to smack her shoe against her podium, "Anyone else?" She glances around the room for a moment, "No? Then meeting over. Don't bother me till after tomorrow. I have to prepare for my next date with Bobby." She hits her shoe once more with that.

* * *

"So… I guess you girls know why you're here, huh?" Luna asks, quietly playing her acoustic guitar as she does so.

"Yeah… no." Lynn crosses her arms and shakes her head, "All you did was tell us to come to your room."

"It's about Lincoln." Luna continues, not looking at her sisters as she does so.

"Yeah, what about him?" Lana tilts head in curiosity, "He seems to be doing all right."

"Let's like, ask Lori to go visit him?" Leni speaks up, her voice filling with a naive hope, "I mean, he totes loved going to the mall with us!"

"She just said no." Lucy suddenly appears, though none of her sisters jump in surprise, "By the way, would any of you mind taking me to see him?" She blushes in embarrassment. "I wanna show him my bat collection."

"Sorry Lucy, we went yesterday." Luna shakes her head, "And I don't think dad will let us go again."

"Yeah and Lana and I went today!" Luan continues, the girl shrugging as she so.

"Oh…" Her voice trails off, "What about you Lynn?"

"Got a game, sorry." She awkwardly rubs the back of her head.

Luna then rubs her chin; "Hmm… if Lucy can't go over there, then maybe we could convince him to here…"

"Would dad even allow that?" Lana asks.

"I don't know…" Luna sighs in defeat. "Well… let's at least try to come up with ideas. We gotta find a way to get Lori to at least give Lincoln a chance!"

"Like, maybe we could…" Leni starts

 _ **The Next Day…**_

"Ugh, do I have to?" Lori whines, looking away and crossing her arms as she does so "I wanted to go out with Bobby today!"

"We're sorry sweetie, but your mother and I have to go." Lynn Sr. looks at his daughter with a sympathetic gaze, "If we could do this any other way, we would do it."

"If it's any consolation, you can bring Lily to the park and spend time with Bobby there." Rita adds, before she puts the baby in her daughter's arms and turns around, "At least try to have a fun day."

"Ugh, fine." Lori reluctantly lets out a breath.

And with that, the two parents leave for the day.

"Dangit!" Lori looks at the three-month old infant, "Ugh, well then I guess it's just you and me Lily."

"Poo-poo!" Lily responds, while nestling herself in the girl's arms.

Lori sighs once more with that, "Well, let's see if Bobby is free." She pulls out her phone and starts dialing, before walking out the home.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

*Groan* Lincoln holds his head, _"What time is it?"_

"Wake up Linky!" A familiar voice goes, before a young girl jumps on his bed, "We're goin' to the park today!"

"Huh? Cool…" Lincoln tiredly sits up, "I'll be ready in a few then."

"Come on, now!" Stacy attempts to push the young boy out of his bed, but to no avail.

She quickly runs out of the room with that.

*Yawn* Lincoln then turns and gets out of his bed, " _I guess I'm just tired from having those girls over yesterday."_ And with that, he quickly gets ready for the day ahead.

And before he knows it, he's standing in the Royal Woods Park with Stacy still holding onto his hand, as well as the other children playing around them. "Ok Stacy, why don't you go play?" And with that, she lets go, allowing the boy to take a seat in the nearby bench.

He sits by quietly for a moment, only keeping to his own thoughts.

"What do you mean you can't come to the park?! Yeah, I know you have to babysit Ronnie Anne… Ugh, all right fine!" Lori walks over and plops on the bench in defeat, "dangit!"

Lincoln looks at the girl for a moment, before looking back at the children.

"Hey! That's mine!" One of the orphans, a young boy with blonde hair, shouts as he tries to keep a bright red ball away from from another, a girl with soft brown hair, the duo runs around for a moment, before the boy trip and falls in a pool of mud. Immediately, the girl catches up, grabbing at the ball.

Yet, the young boy doesn't let go, eventually dragging the girl in the mud as well.

Both Lori and and Lincoln watch the quarrel for a moment, silently hoping that the duo would be able to handle their own issues.

Though, Lincoln knows that wouldn't happen. So he immediately jumps to his feet shouting, "Alexis and Berry, stop it!"

The two children stop pulling on the ball with that, and turn to the white-haired boy.

"What did I tell you about fighting over the stuff we have?!" Lincoln stands before the duo, his arms crossed and an angry glare looking down up them.

For a moment, the two children remain silent, as if an angry parent was talking down to them.

"Well?!"

Berry pulls harshly, forcing Alexis to let go, "You said we can't fight because we don't have a lot?"

Lincoln then glances at the girl, "And you?"

Alexis takes a moment to answer, "And no matter what happens, we're all in this together, so we shouldn't fight?"

"Good." Lincoln continues, looking at both children at this point, "So, what are you two fighting about?"

"Well I was playing with this ball-" Berry starts, but Alexis cuts him off with, "No! You were hogging the ball!'

"Because I never get to play with it!" The boy shouts, tucking the hall in the crook of his arm as he does so.

Yet, not to be outdone, Alexis turns and growls back, clutching her fists tightly as she does so.

Lincoln's expression softens with that, "Well, how about instead of fighting…" he steps between the duo, preventing them from getting any closer, "You play a game together?"

"Why?!" They shout in unison.'

"Because if you can't get along, I'm gonna take the ball and then neither of you will be able to play with it." Lincoln firmly stands his ground between the duo.

The two children think for a moment, before reluctantly agreeing to Lincoln's terms, and then together, they run off to play once again, allowing Lincoln to turn around and walk back to his seat.

"Wow. Heh he reminds me of myself at that age." Lori smiles and looks down at the baby in her arms, "Luna and Lynn always got in fights with Luan."

Lincoln sits back down next to her with that.

"Poo-poo." Lily goes, grabbing at the boy as she does so.

"I don't speak baby, Lily." Lori holds the infant up, while Lily just continues talking in baby gibberish.

"She said that they should go over to Bobby's and see how he reacts to babies." Lincoln translate, not getting his eyes off the playing orphans as he does so.

"What the?" Lori turns to the boy, "You speak baby?"

"Yeah, I learned when a little girl came in a year ago." The white-haired boy responds.

Lori looks at him, "Oh, you have a sister huh?"

"Yeah… I have a sister…." Lincoln answers, before looking up at the girl, "Wait, Lori?"

The girl raises an eyebrow in surprise, "Uhh… yeah? The baby in her arms turns and looks at the boy, "Link-y!"

"Huh, so you're the boy that came over the other night." Lori goes, her voice filling with suspicion.

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, and your sister have been coming over ever since I left." He nonchalantly looks away, "It's hard to keep an orphanage in check when random girls are coming along and stuff.

" _He's an orphan?"_ Lori leans back, against the hardwood bench, "Huh, ok?" She then steels her nerves and turns back to the boy, "Look, I don't appreciate you tricking my sisters into visiting you for no reason." Her voice is harsh, with a hint of anger behind it, "I don't know how you did it, but-"

Lincoln steels his nerves as well, "I don't even want your sisters to come over. Them coming in makes it harder for me to watch out for the kids!" He flares his arms up in annoyance, "Seriously! It's hard to keep eight kids in check all the time!"

"What kids?" Lori raises an eyebrow.

"Those." Lincoln motions out at the young children playing out in the park, "I'm in charge of them while we're out."

Lori follows his direction, allowing her eyes to fall upon a group of seven young children running around, and playing whatever game they could come up with, with the bright red ball two of them were fighting over just moments prior. " _Those are orphans too?!_ "

"I'm the only one who really knows how to take care them. Mister and Misses Sherman are getting too old for this, and I'm just trying to make up for it." Lincoln continues, his voice filling with a determined hope.

" _He's…. sounding like me…"_ Lori looks at the young boy, "Wow… you're like their older brother, huh?"

"You could say that." He turns toward the girl, "So why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" Lori tilts her head in curiosity.

"Well, so far five of your sisters have decided to pay me a visit at the orphanage, and when I come here, you're here waiting with a baby in your arms." He calms down, "So what's your deal?"

Lori shrugs, "I'll be honest, I didn't expect for you to be here." She looks down at the bundle resting in her arms. "In fact I'm supposed to be spending time with my boyfriend."

"Oh?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow, "Then why are you here?"

The young woman sighs sighs, "If you haven't guessed, I'm the oldest sister, so it's my job to take care of everyone else."

" _I can relate…_ " Lincoln thinks.

"And since a last-minute thing for my mom and dad came up, I had to take care of Lily for the day.

"So you're not doin' this cause you care about your sister?" Lincoln tilts his head.

Lori waves him off, "Not at all. I love my sisters, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to be the only one to watch out for them, ya know."

For a moment, the young boy hesitates his response, _"I know the feeling…"_ Yet, even he can't help but sigh in response, "Ya know, I've been with these guys for over five years at this point, and well… I'm always wondering what it would be like to not be the one they count on…" Though, he can't help but think, _"Especially since eI'll never be around when they need me the most…"_

"Heh, so tell me… why do my sisters wanna go see you so much?" Lori chuckles, loosely crossing her arms as she does so.

Lincoln shrugs, "I don't know. I don't mind them coming, but the kids are really afraid of people that come around."

"Why's that?" Lori raises an eyebrow.

"So me of these kids have been in the orphanage since before they could even talk." His eyes fall upon Stacy for a moment, "While others have had rough lives before they ended up dumped here." He glances at Chandler. "But what we all have in common is that the orphanage is our home."

"That doesn't really answer my question." The young adult raises an eyebrow in curiosity, while letting one arm fall limply at her side, allowing the other to hold onto Lily.

"When someone comes around, all they end up doing is taking." Lincoln answers with a sincere, caring voice, "Yeah, we're trained to ignore it but it still hurts…"

"What do you mean?" Lori tilts her head in confusion.

Lincoln sighs, "I'll have to spell it out huh?" He turns and looks her in the eyes, "Most people would expect the day someone gets adopted to be the happiest day of their life. TV tells us that… and for some it is!" He then looks away, "But for many, it's in fact, the most terrifying day in our lives."

"Why's that?" Lori leans in, her curiosity peaked.

"Because the only meeting we get with a parent before we go is the one where we meet them. Mrs. Sherman sometimes has to trick some foster parents by outright lying about them… it doesn't help." He lets out a breath, "Then, if we're lucky enough to get chosen, we end up getting taken away by a complete stranger! And for the rest of us… it's like losing a family member all over again…" his voice begins to fill with anger. "And then you've got the 'volunteers'." Disgust enters his voice with the final word, "And those can be divided into the people either 'doing it to feel better than everyone else by helping the needy' or 'school kids being forced to visit and clearly don't want to'."

Immediately, Lori understands, "Oh…" She then leans back and looks up at the summer sky, _"Wow… he really…"_ She smiles, "Wow…"

"What?" Lincoln looks on in interest.

"At first, I just thought you were some stupid boy that Lynn brought home to prove that she was into guys. And when I heard she found you in the street, I immediately wanted you as far away from them as possible. But… I guess I was wrong about you."

"Thanks." Lincoln sighs, _"Well, at least someone thinks I'm more than worthless…"_

"Ya know, some of the girls asked if we could all go to visit you one day." Lori ribs the back of her head, "Would you mind?"

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, "I wouldn't mind, but remember, you guys would have to control yourselves around everyone. Some of the kids really don't like it when they have large groups visiting."

"You know, from the sound of it, any parent would be lucky to have you as their son… why haven't you been adopted yet?"

" _Because I'm a worthless street rat that has no business being inside someone else's home…"_ Lincoln shakes his head, "I'd rather not answer that."

Lori gives an understanding nod, "Ok then…"

"Poo-poo!" Lily goes, stirring from her slumber as she does so.

"So… is Lily your…" Lincoln starts, pointing at the baby.

Lori chuckles, "She's my sister." She glances down at the child, "I'm too young to have kids."

Lily proceeds to attempt to crawl out of the girl's arms.

"Huh? She's getting really excited!" Lincoln quips, followed by some random baby gibberish.

"What's she saying?" Lori nervously asks.

"She… wants me to hold her…" Lincoln responds, before moving closer to the duo.

Lori hesitates for a moment, before looking at Lily's begging eyes and sighing in defeat. And so, she hands the infant over.

Lincoln carefully takes the young girl in his arms for a moment, and smiles.

"Goo!" Lily goes, before grabbing at the boy.

For a moment, Lincoln simply looks into her young blue eyes and holds her close, allowing a long repressed memory to slowly return to him.

* * *

"Lincoln!" Liberty playfully punches her brother's arm, "What'cha doin' ya dork?"

Lincoln gives her a bright smile, revealing his one oversized tooth, "I'm making a paper tower!" He stands on the kitchen chair, using the old wooden thing to get a boost up to the table. "I came up with a story about this thing!"

"Tell me later Linky!" The young Liberty climbs on the same chair as the boy, the old thing creaking in weakness as she does so, "I wanna see the tower!"

Lincoln starts to lose his balance, and yet keeps calm, "Liberty! Get down from here!"

"No, I wanna see it!" She holds onto the table and pulls herself in closer, pushing her brother aside as she does so.

Suddenly, Lincoln loses the balance he had fought so hard to maintain. He turns around, trying desperately to hold onto the chair's back, "G'ahh!"

In a panic, Liberty grabs the paper tower her brother had been working for balance, "What the-" only to take it along with her as the duo falls to the floor, causing a smile cloud of dust to overtake them.

"Ugh." Lincoln groans a moment later, standing up as he does so, "What just happened?"

"The chair broke!" Liberty flares her arms in annoyance, "Why'd you have to stand on the weakest chair in the house!"

"I'm not the one who jumped on a chair even though I told you not to!" Lincoln counters, anger filling the young boy's veins.

"What's going on?" A young, white-haired woman rushes into the kitchen. Her gaze quickly falls upon her two children and the mess that they had made. "What did you two do?!"

Lincoln dusts himself off and glares at his sister, "I was making my End Tower when Liberty decided to get on the chair and break everything!" The boy struggle to fight the tears forming in his eyes, "She's ruined everything!"

Their mother looks at her daughter for a moment, before calmly commanding, "Liberty, go to your room. Lincoln, stay here."

Liberty looks on in defeat, before letting her arms go limp and walking away.

A few minutes pass with that, as the mother and son wait for the girl to step out of view.

"So… are you all right?" The woman steps over and places a soft, caring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Why did I have to have a sister?" The boy sorrowfully asks, soft tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

The woman remains silent for a moment, careful to choose her next words, "Don't worry about it Lincoln, Liberty didn't mean to-"

"Yes she did!" He shouts, "She always makes a mess out of everything I do!" He turns to face the destroyed tower, "I worked so hard to make everything! And she just had to go and-"

"Lincoln. Just calm down." She takes a knee in front of him, "Why don't you go watch some TV while I clean this up. Do you want me to talk to her?"

Lincoln looks away and walks out of his mother's grip, "No."

And with that, the woman sighs.

Yet, unknown to the duo, Liberty was standing by, listening to every word her brother had said, _"I messed up…"_ She then turns and quietly rushes up the stairs, " _I have to make this right!"_

 _ **Later…**_

"Do I have to sleep with her?" Lincoln whines, clearly still annoyed from earlier.

"Yes son, you have to." A light-blonde-haired man rubs his head, "Even if she did mess up, she's still your sister."

The boy sighs in defeat, "Fine…" Before he turns around a trudges up the stairs, _"Why does she have to ruin everything?!"_ He silently grabs the door to his room, and opens it up; revealing Liberty, standing by a shoddy mess of paper and glue that vaguely resembles a tower.

"Hey bro!" The girl puts on a pained smile, "I was wonderin' when you'd come around!

Lincoln remains silent.

"I guess I'm gonna have to try harder huh?" She grabs her arm and looks away, "I'm sorry about ruining your tower earlier… so I tried to make you a new one but…" She glances at her mess, "… I'm not you."

Still no response.

"I know that I can make messes sometimes… but that's why I trust you to fix them. I'm really sorry Lincoln." She leans over and grabs the young boy, "Please forgive me…"

The boy's harsh stance soften with that, "Fine…"

"Yay!" The girl cheers, "Wanna make a tower with me? I'd love to hear your story!"

"Heh… sure sis." Lincoln lets out a breath, "I could never stay mad at you." And with that, he returns the hug, before the duo gets to work rebuilding Lincoln's tower. This time, no doubt it would be bigger and better than before.

* * *

"Lincoln?" Lori goes, rubbing the boy's shoulder as she does so, You there?"

The young boy starts to tear up in response, _"Liberty…"_

"Are you all right Lincoln?" Lori looks on in concern.

Lincoln looks at the baby in his arms, before leaning in close to the girl. Lori instinctually leans in for a hug, "Lincoln?"

"Lori…"

"Yeah?"

"I miss my sister…" The boy pulls Lily in close, as if desperate to keep the warm filling building in his chest from leaving.

Lori looks on in shock for a moment, "Sister?"

"Liberty…" He lets out a deep breath, "She was my twin sister… we got 'separated'." He slowly runs his free hand in his shirt, and pulls out a small locket- the one she had given him. With a soft sigh, he hits the top button, forcing its two halves to separate, revealing a picture of Liberty, Lincoln, their two siblings and parents, all posed in front of the Dairyland Milk Mash Run.

The young woman calmly looks over, silently waiting for the young boy to continue.

Lincoln just thinks for a moment, before turning to the girl, "You know… I don't just miss her… I miss them all."

"What happened to them?" Lori immediately asks, though she regrets it when Lincoln shakes his head.

The boy looks back at the locket, "I miss being one of the youngest in the family… my brother and sister would always watch out for us, while our mom and dad made sure that Liberty and I would be fine."

"What were they like?" Lori goes, her voice filling with a soft understanding.

He can't help but reel at the thought, "It's been a while… but you know… my sister, my older one, well, you kinda remind me of her."

"What do you mean?"

"Overly protective, not really caring about the world around you as long as you and your sisters are safe." He puts on a nostalgic smile, "I guess I can understand why you were so annoyed about the girls coming over. It's like me and the other orphans, you don't want them getting hurt."

Lori remains silent, knowing that Lincoln was right.

She leans in closer and places a hand on the boy's shoulder, "You know… there's an arcade five minutes away from here, and since I can't see my boyfriend today, I've got some money I don't need for anything else."

Lincoln perks up at the idea and waves her off, "As much as I'd like to, I've gotta-"

"Now Lincoln, time with a nice young woman? Why, I think we can make this work." Mrs. Sherman walks over.

"How much did you hear?" Lincoln nervously asks.

"Only that this young woman is one of the sisters of those girls that came to visit yesterday, and that she's offering to take you out for a day." The woman cheerfully replies, "And since you've been working so hard, I'll allow it."

"But what about?" Lincoln starts, only for the woman to wave him off, "It's no big deal, Cristina!"

"Yes director?" Cristina runs over and stands at attention.

"Lincoln's gonna be taking a break for the time being, so I need you to watch the kids." Mrs. Sherman speaks with a commanding voice.

Cristina salutes for a moment, before turning around and running over to help the kids. "So what do you say?" The old woman looks at the boy with a smile, as does Lori.

Lincoln looks at the infant playing in his arms for a moment and smiles, "Sure, it couldn't hurt.

"Splendid!" The woman goes, taking the baby from the two as she does so, "You can trust me with her, don't you worry."

"Thanks." Lori smiles, before taking hold of Lincoln's hand, "You ready?"

"Yeah…" Lincoln looks ahead, and with that, the two walk over to the nearby arcade.

23-8-1-20 11-9-14-4-1 16-1-18-5-14-20 14-1-13-5-19 20-8-5-9-18 11-9-4 "2-5-18-18-25"?

 **A/N I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Sunblast-X and Wolvenstrom for all their help! Man, with the tests, Minecraft and writer's block, I can't believe I managed to post this.**

 **Unwavering Bonds is next.**


	9. Finding A Game

**A/N Man, is this late? Summer classes are a pain, nuff said. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! And awesome! Over 100 reviews! Thanks for your support everyone!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Nine: Finding A Game

"Where're we goin' Alexis?" A young Lincoln quietly asks the young woman guiding his hand.

"Well… since Max and Liberty are checkin' out the Mega Milk Run, I was thinking we could go visit the arcade." His older sister looks down with a smile. She is tall, with short, light blonde- almost white- hair reaching down to her shoulders; she wears a simple white tank top with blue jean-shorts.

"An ar…cad?" The young boy tilts his head in confusion, "What's that?"

"Arcade silly." Alexis looks forward, "It's a special place where we can play all the games we want!" Though she does mentally add, _"So long as I have enough money to last."_

Lincoln's eyes go wide, "Really?! That sounds so cool!"

His sister smiles, "You know it!" She then runs her hand through his soft, white hair, "Then, after that, I'm sure we can hop on a few rides if you want."

"Yay!" Lincoln cheers, before he rushes forward, breaking free of his sister's grip as he does so, "Last one there is a bottle of spoiled milk!"

Alexis can't help but chuckle, before following her brother closely behind, though letting him keep the lead.

* * *

"He Lincoln, you all right?" Lori gently rubs the boy's shoulder, snapping him out of the trance he had brought himself into, "You're spacin' out on me again.

"Huh?" His eyes go wide while he shakes his head in fear, _"What the, where am I?!"_

"You ok?" The young woman calmly takes a knee in front of him, "If you want, I could take you back to the park…"

" _Oh right…"_ Yet, the young boy simply shakes his head, "No… I'm fine, really I am."

"Are you sure?" The young woman asks with concern filling her voice, "Constantly spacing out doesn't really tell me that something isn't bothering you."

"No… nothing is bothering me…" Lincoln waves her off, "I just remembered something is all…"

" _I know that look…"_ Lori stands up and takes his hand in her own- much like a mother would do with a child, "Well… would you like to talk about it?"

"No, it's nothing." The young boy simply tugs on her hand, signaling her to continue on. _"Please… I don't wanna remember that day anymore."_

For a moment, Lori considers delving deeper into the young boy's past, _"Something more is bugging him besides him just missing his sister…"_ And yet, despite her suspicions, she finds herself simply nodding along, "All right Lincoln… all right." She then turns and starts guiding the young boy down another block, "Anyways, we're here Linc…"

And so, he looks up at the store. Gus' Games And Grub s a quaint store, with simple concrete walls and old neon signs lining the windows. The sign above the double glass doors lacks lighting in the third 'G' giving the appearance of "rub".

"Gus' Games and Grub?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion.

Lori nods, "Yeah, I now it's not much compared to the arcade by my dad's office, but I'd rather not drive all the way into town right now…" She then looks down at the boy, "You don't mind do ya?"

"No…" The boy's voice trails off, _"It's still better than anything I deserve…"_

"Great…" Lori puts on nervous smile before stepping forward, allowing Lincoln to slip out of her grip, "Well then, come on."

" _Last chance Lincoln… You can just turn and run away. She won't care…"_ Another thought enters the boy's mind, _"Besides, why does she even want you around anyway? It's not like you could ever hope to repay whatever she spends on you."_ Lincoln chooses to ignore the thought and simply follow the young woman.

" _This kid's definitely been through a lot."_ Lori calmly walks up to the front counter and buys a batch of coins to play with, _"I wonder if Lucy can feel it too…"_ She then turns to the young boy behind her, "So, what do you wanna play first?"

"It's up to you…" Lincoln's voice trails off, "After all, you're the one… you know…"

"Paying?" Lori finishes, her voice filling with a soft understanding.

"Yeah…" Lincoln rubs his arm awkwardly, _"Yeah Lincoln. You're all take and no give. You've got no way to do anything!"_

"Lincoln, I'm gonna be honest with you." Lori smiles, "I love video games."

The boy tilts his head in confusion, "Really?"

Lori nods, "Yeah." Then she turns and walks towards the game area, with Lincoln following soon after, "That means I'm willing to play whatever you pick, my treat."

"But it's not fair to you though…" Lincoln holds his arms out for emphasis. _"If anyone knows what's fair, it's me…"_

"All right then, how about this…" Lori rubs her chin, "How about, you pick one and then I pick. Would that work Linc?"

"Sure." Lincoln reluctantly agrees.

"Heh good, now come on, we've got games to play!" Lori lovingly rubs the boy's head.

" _I'm not sure this is pity…"_ Lincoln thinks with that, allowing Lori to continue to do so, _"But… it has to be right? She doesn't know me… Dangit, why does she care so much?! And why she… remind me of them?"_

"So, does any game catch your eye?" Lori then takes Lincoln's hand and begins to guide him down a corridor of consoles, "Or if you'd like, I could pick first…"

The young boy glances at his surroundings as they walk along the numerous aisles filled with hundreds of random games. Each begging for a player to come along and pay for their use.

"No, it's all right Lori." He then turns his head again, catching sight of a small console, designed for two people. He eagerly points at it, "How about that one?"

"Fight Fighters One-O-One huh?" The older girl can't help but chuckle, "Heh, sure. I don't see why not." She lets go of the boy and walks over, "Come on, let's play!"

" _This is your last chance Lincoln. Turn around and leave before you grow too attached to this girl and her sisters."_ A familiar voice echoes through his mind, _"After all, the more time you spend with fake sisters, the more you'll forget about your real one, me."_

Lincoln stares for a moment, though Lori shoving a coin in the machine snaps himout of it.

" _ **Welcome challengers! Choose your player!"**_ The announcer declares in an overly excited voice.

"You get first pick Linc." Lori smiles at him.

" _She's pitying your skills."_ The voice calls out again, _"Just pic whatever character, you're gonna lose anyway."_ Lincoln follows up by scrolling through the random assortment of characters present- a random mix of people, robots, evil dictators, scientists and oddly enough a mouse. _"Whatever, you're a mouse to her. Expendable."_

Lincoln scrolls passed that character, choosing instead to select a blonde man wearing a red bandana, plenty of bandages and a set of torn blue jeans, "I'll pick, Fighter McFightFace!"

Lori chuckles, "Good choice Lincoln." She then scrolls through the characters as well, "And I'll pick Ryu!

"I will avenge you father." Fighter goes, before pointing at Ryu, "You killed my father again!"

"No I didn't!" Ryu counters raising his fists.

"You take that back!" Fighter counters.

Lincoln meanwhile just looks on in confusion, "Uhh… is this supposed to be confusing to follow?"

"Nah." Lori waves him off, "There's a really huge story behind this game, the problem is the idiots coding this game forgot that dialogue is supposed to match the opponent."

Suddenly, the boy's eyes start to widen in interest, "There's a story behind it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Starts to tap away at the control, silently telling the buffering screen to hurry up. "If you want, I could tell you it."

" _Whatever. You should listen to her. After all, it's not like you've got anything else in your life."_ The voice cuts through his thoughts again. "All right then." Lincoln taps away as well.

Yet, before Lori can start, the announcer shouts, _**"Fight!"**_

Immediately, Fighter rushes at Ryu and attacks with a massive barrage of punches. This sends Ryu back, and causes Lori to grimace in frustration."

" _She didn't even try to block that! She's still pitying you!"_

"Heh, lucky shot." Lori quickly taps away at the keys once more, casing Ryu to jump to his feet and charge his fists, _**"Flaming Suurian!"**_

And with that, Ryu sends a wave of fire at Fighter.

"That won't work!" Lincoln attempts to block, though the blast proves to be too much for Fighter to handle, sending him flying across the screen… as well as causing half his health to drop instantly.

"What were you sayin'?" Lori taunts, "I'm a pro at this game Linc, you're not gonna beat me that easily."

" _No, she's not pitying me."_ Lincoln can feel his heart beat faster while adrenaline starts pumping through his veins, _"What are you talking about, she is!"_ Then, with an excited smile, he gets Fighter to jump back to his feet, "Here's my counter Lori!"

Fighter then pulls his arms back, before charging at Ryu.

Lori tries to get Ryu to dodge the attack, though Fighter proves to be too fast for her.

Immediately, the man shouts, "Uppercut, downercut, bowl of punch!" He then follows up but uppercutting his opponent, smacking him to the ground, then, he pulls out a bowl filled with fruit punch and smashes it against his face.

"Nice moves Lincoln." Lori hardens her gaze as adrenaline rushes through her veins as well, "But I gotta tell you, I'm the queen of this game!" Quickly, she mashes the buttons, causing Ryu to glow for a moment, but the line, **"Super Special Awesome Transformation Sequence in 3D!"** Appears on screen.

"Whoa!" Lincoln watches in awe as Ryu floats up, causing thunderbolts to reign down upon the battlefield. He would try to interrupt the change, though he finds his controls jammed by the program, _"Dangit, this isn't looking good!"_

Then, a lone thunderbolt falls upon Ryu, engulfing him in light. When in disperses, Ryu stands before Fighter… having grown an inch from the transformation.

Lincoln can't help but burst out laughing, "Haha! Lori! You're kidding me right?!" While he thinks, _"Wow… Lori's either joking or having fun with me."_ He glances at her, the young woman's fierce gaze unwavering against his taunts, _"But, she's not giving up!"_

Yet, instead of answering his taunt, Lori simply smiles and taps her controls.

Immediately, Ryu rushes forward and tackles Fighter, sending the latter flying across the screen.

"Wow!" Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, _"She's…. she's not holding back, she's not pitying me!"_ A rush of excitement falls upon the boy once more, as he grits his teeth in excitement, _"That means… she… she doesn't think I'm worthless…"_

"It's called Yami Ryu. I've played this game so much I know just how to unlock it!" Lori mashes her controls more, causing the Ryu to rush at Fighter, bringing along a flurry of punches.

"Heh, and here I thought you were holdin' out on me!" The younger boy mashes his controls as well, allowing Fighter to jump to his feet and dodge the attack.

"Hey, why would I ever hold back?" The young woman turns to Lincoln with a caring smile, "After all, you seem like the type of person who would rather tell a story involving someone going all out than holdin' back."

Lincoln nods, "Yeah… I love tellin' stories like that." He then follows up by launching his own barrage at Ryu.

Lori blocks the attack and forces Fighter back, "Heh, you're pretty good at this game."

"Heh, thanks… my brother used to take me here when I was younger." Lincoln nonchalantly quips, before making Fighter rush at Ryu once more. _"Before the… accident…"_

 _"He's opening up… maybe I will be able to find out more."_ Lori's heart races in excitement as she makes Ryu turn to face the assault, "Heh, the reason I'm so good at this game is cause I'm really the only Loud girl who's kept playing video games. The ones that used to, stopped playing when after they hit ten." She taps at the controls even more, "These games are one of the few ways I de-stress's after dealing with my sisters and when boyfriend is busy with his new job of the week… especially on nights when I'm babysitting."

"Heh, I don't have time for these things nowadays." Lincoln looks away for a moment before refocusing his gaze, "The other kids are a handful to deal with."

Lori smiles, "At least the little kids you look out for actually are all little kids Lincoln. You don't have to deal with kids old enough to know better trying to wreck the house with soccer balls and sick jams just because mom and dad aren't there to stop them.

And so, Ryu sends a flurry of fireballs to stop Fighter, while Fighter counters with his sharp pixel blasts… as well as shouting, "Pixel Blast! Pixel Blast!"

"Wow…" Lincoln goes unsure of just how to follow that up. "Not sure what to say."

"That's just families for ya." Lori chuckles.

"Yeah… families." Lincoln frowns, as if he is trying to hold back the memory of the family he had lost.

Yet, his partner doesn't let the conversation die, "So, your brother was good at this game huh?" she asks, before dodging the attack.

Lincoln looks down for a moment, _"Dangit, she brought it up."_ He immediately perks up, "I'd rather not talk about him, but yes, he was."

" _Not enough… dangit."_ Lori thinks, moving her eyes away from the screen for a moment.

The young boy doesn't miss the opening, "Hey Lori!"

"What?" She turns to face the screen.

"Her comes my finisher!" Quickly, Lincoln punches Ryu hard enough to cause him to stumble back, before Fighter rushes once more and launches a furious barrage of attacks at the man, followed by the announcer shouting. _**"Super Power Ninja Turbo Neo Ultra Hyper Mega Multi Alpha Meta Extra Uber Prefix! COMBO!"**_

A moment later, the dust settles, with Fighter holding his thumb up in victory, "Winners don't Lose!"

"I won!" Lincoln cheers, flaring his arms up in excitement. _"I can't believe it, I actually beat her!"_

Yet, Lori responds by smirking, "Not quite."

Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, before he turns back to face the screen.

Quickly, Lori starts mashing her controls, "You see, when you were charging up your attack, I used Yami Ryu to create the Omega Shield! Saving me from the attack!"

"Whatever." Lincoln waves her off, "I'm still gonna-"

"Haha, no you're not." She quickly shouts, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left right, B, A!" Immediately Yami Ryu raises his arms and begins to charge up a massive sphere of energy.

"Not so fast Lori! I'm not gonna let you win that easily!" Lincoln frantically rushes at Lori's character, desperately trying to interrupt the attack before it can launch. Yet, much to the younger boy's dismay, the attack fires without a hitch.

"Go!" The young woman shouts, excitement filling her voice, before Ryu drops his arms and fires, _**"Ultimate Reactor Soul Spirit Mega Piercing Omega Beyond Nuclear Flaming Tornado Tsunami Iron Neutron COMBO!"**_

Instantly, the screen is overtaken by the light of the resulting explosion, before it cuts to a view of Earth from space, where a massive explosion of light grows. A moment of silent passes with that, before the screen cuts back to the fight.

Now Yami Ryu stands before Fighter, the latter laying on the ground with his arms outstretched, no doubt signaling his defeat.

The man the turns to the screen and flashes a determined expression, "The path I walk is one that must be done alone." And with that, he turns and walks off screen, causing it to go black, and the words, "Insert coin" to appear in its place.

"That was an awesome game Linc." The young woman turns to it, "You should be proud, you're the first person to almost beat me at that game."

"I am?" The young boy goes, skepticism filling his body.

Lori nods, "Yeah, you are."

Lincoln lets go of the controls with that, "Heh, that was fun…" Then turns to his companion with a smile, _"Dangit you worthless… I don't even know what to call you anymore. You're so worthless that you couldn't even beat her at a video game!"_

The young blonde smiles as well, _"I almost forgot what it was like to help a kid smile again."_ She lets go as well and turns to the boy, "So what do ya wanna do next?"

"It's up to you remember?" The boy tilts his head in confusion, "After all, we agreed I'd choose something then you'd pick something."

"Oh right…" She rubs her chin, "Well we could-"

*Grumble* Lincoln's belly goes, eliciting a chuckle from the older girl.

"On second thought, how about we get some food?" She turns and starts walking away, "This place his great tasting pizza, but doesn't server coffee."

" _You should just walk away right now. You're not worth feeding right after made her play a game with you."_ The thought crosses his mind, yet he simply shakes his head, _"I'm… I'm… worth this. If I make it through this, I'm sure they'll just forget about you…"_

"You comin' Linc?" Lori calls out as she walks into the restaurant section of the arcade, "After all, the food's not gettin' any younger!"

Quickly, he shakes his head again, _"Just don't think about it. You'll be fine Lincoln…"_ Yet, the same feminine voice cuts in yet again, _"Yeah, just keep tellin' yourself that. I'm sure the moment you get attached to her, she'll just take your heart and throw it in the trashcan, just like everyone else has!"_

Lori follows up by calling out, "Lincoln!"

"Huh? All right." He quickly snaps back to his senses and looks around for a moment, allowing him to spot the Loud Sister sitting in one of the open booths, motioning for him to join him to come over. Without a second thought, he jumps up and runs over to join her.

And a few moments later, the duo sits at the table, across from each other.

"All right, I'll go get the food, ok?" Lori slides out of the booth, "You just sit tight."

Lincoln nods in understanding, before he watches the young woman slide out and walk over to the nearby counter.

"You are aware you're taking too much from her, right?" A young girl appears at his side. He long, white hair flowing just as it did the day they were separated, "You'll never be able to do anything to pay her back for this."

The young boy remains quiet.

"The silent treatment huh? You never change Lincoln, you never do." She chuckles, "Whatever. You'll thank me for warning you the moment she decides to leave you behind." And with that, she disappears from view.

"Eat up!" Lori walks over to the table and drops a small pie in front of the boy, "Gus' Signiture Personal Pan Pizza!"

"Personal Pan Pizza?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion while staring at the small, rounded pizza pie placed in front of him. It's small with no other toping other than the cheese placed on a small, rounded piece of bread and sliced into four parts.

"Yeah, it's all yours Lincoln." She leans back, "I figured you're hungry, ya know, from all the hard work ya do and stuff. Plus playing that game."

He stares at the pie for a moment, unsure of what to do next, _"Well… she's offering. Might as well eat it you worthless-"_

"And don't worry." Lori smiles, "It's gonna taste great!"

Slowly, the young boy moves his hand over and grabs hold of one of the slices, _"It's probably stale after all. How could pizza taste good? Every slice I've had was hard and lukewarm…"_

He stares at the piece of food in his hand for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

"Go on Lincoln, it's not gonna hurt ya." She motions for him to continue.

Lincoln gulps and moves the foodstuff closer to his mouth, before taking a single bite out of the pointed end.

Instantly, his eyes go wide while a flurry of flavors attack his tastbuds, _"What the?! This is pizza?!"_ He stares at the pie in front of him for a moment, _"I haven't had a slice this good since… since…"_

* * *

"Come on Alexis! You promised!" Lincoln whines as he plants his feet and pulls back, desperately trying to bring his sister into the next room.

"Aww really guys? Do I have to?" His sister whines, easily holding back against the five-year-old's tug, "Gravity is pulling on me more!"

"Yeah!" Liberty pushes against the young woman's back, desperately trying to force her along- though it is obvious she is letting them push her around. "And stop it with gravity! We know it's not!"

"Plus, we already set everything up!" Lincoln goes, "It took us forever to make the dough!"

"But come on? Can't you get Max or mom to make it?" The older girl continues to whine, doing her best not to hurt her siblings while also not letting them pull her any more than they already have.

Lincoln shakes his head, "No!"

While Liberty continues, "Max and mom don't make it like you do!"

"Please sis!" Lincoln speaks in a childish, begging voice, "Please…"

For a moment, the young woman holds back, letting the idea cross her mind for a moment, _"They really want me to make it for them huh?"_ She relents and stands up straight, "Fine. I'll make you the pizza."

"Yay!" The twins cheer in unison as they follow their sister into the kitchen.

Wordlessly, she walks over to the counter and gets to work, "Now watch closely you two. This is how you make my signature personal pan pizzas!"

The twins watch intently as their sister grabs some of the pre-made dough and takes a deep breath, "Summer in the hills… the hazy days are to remember…"

She mixes the dough just a bit to make sure it's ready, before she pulls it out and flattens it on the counter, cutting it into two equal pies as she does so, "We were runnin' still, had the whole world at our feet."

Then, she grabs some of the sauce and spreads it upon the bread, before dropping cheese on top of it to finish them off, "Where we watched the seasons change, all roads were lined with adventure."

"She then pops it in the oven, and finishes, "There were mountains in the way, but didn't keep us from the sea." Then she lovingly runs her hands through the twin's hair

"I still hear you in the breeze, see your shadows in the trees, holding on, memories never change…" She finishes and at that moment the oven alarm rings, signaling the pizza's completion.

"And that's how you make pizza!" With a soft smile, She pulls the foodstuffs from the oven and hands them over, "Eat up!"

Neither twin hesitates to grab their small pan pizzas a take bites out of them.

"This tastes great!" Lincoln shouts, with Liberty simply smiling in agreement.

* * *

"Hey Lincoln, you all right?" Lori nervously goes, you've been chewing that piece for ten minutes now, if something up?"

Instead of responding, Lincoln stares off, looking passed his companion in doing so.

" _Welp, I think Lincoln needs someone to snap him out of one of his pauses…"_ Lori leans over the table and grabs the boy's shoulder, before shaking him back to reality, "Hey Lincoln! Wake up!"

Immediately, the young boy snaps back to his senses, "Alexis?"

"Who's Alexis?" Lori tilts her head in confusion.

Lincoln hesitates for a moment, before shaking his head, "No one…"

"Oh… ok." Her voice trails off, _"Alexis... I'll keep that in mind."_ She then leans forward, eager to listen to the young boy, "So how's the pizza taste?"

" _Like home…"_ The boy stares at his foodstuff for a moment, _"It tastes better than anything I've eaten in a long time…"_ he closes his eyes for a moment, _"Since… I learned how to cook from her… my family…" He can't help but start to tear up,_ "Why?"

"Why what?" Lori leans closer and runs her hand along the boy's cheek, wiping some of his tears as he does so.

"Why are you being so nice?" He asks, before looking up and staring at her with his watery-eyes. "You barely know me and yet, you've taken me here, played games with me and bought me food!"

Lori hesitates her answer for a moment, _"I have to be careful… if say the wrong thing something is gonna break."_

"Do you want something?" He asks, "Or are you just pitying the fact that I'm an orphan?" He doesn't break his harsh gaze, choosing instead to look into the girl's eyes, intently waiting her response.

" _Welp, here goes nothing!"_ Lori takes a deep breath, "Lincoln…" She leans over the table and places a hand on his shoulder, desperately trying to calm him down, "The reason why I'm nice to you is because, well, you seemed like you needed someone to spend time with."

" _Wow, it really is true! She pities you!"_ The voice shouts again, this time with a hint of amusement filling it.

"You ok?" she nervously asks.

Yet, instead of responding, Lincoln hits her hand away, turns in his seat, and runs off, straight into the gaming area once more.

" _Dangit, I said the wrong thing!"_ Lori frantically jumps from her seat and gives chase, though given Lincoln's practice with running, he easily disappears into the crowd of random children playing amongst the hundreds of consoles crammed intot he small room.

* * *

The moment after he started running was more like a blur than one would expect. The boy's heart raced just as it had done countless time prior- the difference being he wasn't running from an angry homeowner.

Within minutes, Lincoln finds himself covered by the several hundred balls the pit has to offer. He curls up with his legs in his chest as to take up as little space as possible. _"You're nothing Lincoln. No one can fill the hole she left…"_ He painfully thinks, _"Lori doesn't really care about me… the moment I go home, she'll just forget… just like everyone else… But the girls didn't forget."_ Another thought crosses his mind, _"They keep coming even thought we're orphans…."_

"Hey Lincoln, you in here?" Lori brushes some of the balls aside, revealing a tuff of Lincoln's white hair. "There you are…"

"What do you want?" Lincoln looks away, trying desperately to hide from the young woman.

" _This has just gone from bad to worse…"_ Lori hesitates for a moment, before taking a deep breath, "Nothing much… just what's goin' on with ya?"

" _She doesn't care. She's just gonna use you."_ More thoughts enter his mind, forcing him to remain silent.

"I mean, you did just run away after asking a question." The young woman stands back, not moving her gaze from the lone tuff of white hair sticking out of the balls, "Well… after my answer, but you get the point."

Lincoln continues to remain silent, _"This doesn't make sense… if she doesn't care, why is she following me? Why is she asking what's going on?"_

"Ya know… I didn't finish my answer before you ran." Lori's voice fills with the caring heat of a young mother, "If you'd like… I could say more."

" _Don't let her lie to you more! Say no and get out of here!"_ The voice cuts across his thoughts further. Lincoln shuts his eyes tightly, fighting the urge to hold his head, "Please."

" _Well that's a good sign… I think…"_ Lori takes another deep breath, giving herself just a moment before she has to answer, "I'm being nice because, well, because you remind me of myself."

"What do you mean?" *sniffle* Lincoln perks up ever so slightly.

"I guess when I heard you talking about what it's like being an older brother to the other orphans, I just kinda felt like I met someone who knew what it felt like…" She awkwardly rubs the back of her head, almost as if she had revealed something that even she wasn't sure happened.

Lincoln slowly sticks his head out of the ball pit and looks at the young woman, "Really?"

"Yeah…" She then extends her arm towards him, "So will ya come out?"

Lincoln gives her a teary-eyed smile and takes her hand. "Yeah… thanks Lori."

"Heh awesome." Lori pulls the young boy out of the ball pit, "Now how about we bring you back to the orphanage? It's getting late after all."

"But you haven't picked a game!" Lincoln counters.

"Now Lincoln." She takes a knee in front of the boy, "I literally came here to cheer you up, not to play video games." She chuckles, "I guess playing video games

"So you mean… you…" Lincoln pauses for a moment. _"Just… wanted me to feel better? Not pity…"_ His eyes begin to widen in shock.

"What? Can't a girl wanna do something nice for someone she just met?" She lovingly rubs his head, "Besides, I'm sure you'll find some way to repay me."

" _She… she's talking about giving back later… she trusts that I'll be able to…"_ He begins to tear up again.

"You all right Lincoln?" Lori tilts her head in confusion.

Yet, instead of answering the question, Lincoln jumps up and throws his arms around her, pulling her into a surprise hug. _"Well this was unexpected."_ Though, rather than pushing the young boy off, she simply smiles and returns the hug.

A few moments later, they're outside the arcade, walking along the late afternoon town of Royal Woods, with Lori holding onto Lincoln's hand as if she were his mother.

"So Lincoln…" Lori starts, "Did ya enjoy?"

"I loved it…" His voice trails off, while the one in his head remains silent. "Alexis…"

In response, Lori puts on a knowing smile. "So Lincoln, how would you like to come over to my home tomorrow?"

"You sure that's a good idea, Lori?" Lincoln turns toward the young woman.

"I mean, I'll have to talk to dad and the girls about it, but I'm sure I can get some strings pulled." She looks down upon him, holding a soft smile as she does so, "So what do ya say Linc?"

" _It's a bad idea. You'll just cause trouble."_ The voice speaks up, yet Lincoln's counters, _"But I'm sure Lori will handle everything."_ And so, Lincoln smiles, "Sure, I'd love to."

Lori smiles at him once more, before the duo turns and continues down the long, winding path home.

 _ **Later…**_

With the cover of night taking over both her and her infant sister, she steps into the small home filled with twelve family members.

"Hey girls!" She greets, "I'm home!"

No sooner does she say that, then ix of her sisters rush down the stairs, each going on about some random lines about how she should give Lincoln a chance.

"Girls! Quiet!" She commands, forcing her sisters to silence themselves for a moment. Immediately, she turns to Luna, "What's going on with you guys?"

Luna stands her ground and answers, "Lori, we think you should give Lincoln a chance." She stares the young woman in her eyes.

"Yeah!" Lana cuts in, "You're saying he's not worth hanging out with, when all of us have done it and had a great time!"

"Like, I think it'd be totes awesome if he came over!" Leni speaks up.

Lucy, meanwhile, simply blushes. Unsure of just what to say to help convince Lori.

The young woman holds her hands in front of her, "Girls, girls, calm down."

"What's up Lori?" Lynn raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I ran into Lincoln today and well…we had a good time." She holds her hands on her hips.

"You did?!" The six sisters shout in surprise.

Lori nods, "Yeah, and I invited him over."

"Did he say yes?" Leni cheerfully asks.

"Yeah." Lori nods, "He did." She then points at the nearby wall clock, "He'll be coming tomorrow girls, so if you wanna set stuff up for him, well, you have all night."

"You did what?!" A masculine voice shouts in response.

6-9-7-8-20 6-9-7-8-20-5-18-19 20-23-15: 5-12-5-3-20-18-9-3 2-15-15-7-1-12-15-15!

 **A/N And that was chapter 9! I hope you guys enjoyed! I thank Exotos135 and Wolvenstrom for their help!**

 **Next week I'll update Unwavering Bonds and S &T!**

 **Guest replies (C8):**

 **Guest 1: Here's the update!**

 **Guest 2: Thanks for the idea!**


	10. Finding A Man

**A/N Well I'm back guys, after one long hiatus. Man, writing this chapter was like banging my head on the wall. But hey, I did my best to make it as well as I could. I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Ten: Finding A Man

Instantly, a cold air overtakes the room, pulling the young women into its icy grasp. When comes to life with so many children, events such as this, while not commonplace, tend to happen more than they would like to admit.

"Well Lori?!" The voice continues, its tone filling with a frustrated anger. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Slowly, the eight young women turn toward the source- their young father, his arms crossed tightly, while his judging gaze holds fiercely over them.

He remains silent, waiting for his daughter's answer.

" _I messed up."_ The young woman can't help, but feel just a bit of fear while she steps forward from the small crowd, "Hey dad, what's up?"

"What's up is that you seem to have ignored my direct order." The man counters, "What do you have to say for yourself Lorelei Loud?!"

"Look dad," The young woman holds her hands up defensively, "I know you're angry, but first… what are you talking about?"

For a moment, the man stands by, unsure of whether or not to be confused or annoyed by the question… though he quickly decides upon the latter, "Lorelei, I thought I told you and your sisters that I didn't want that boy coming over to our house anymore?!"

"I know you're not gonna like this dad, but uhh…" Lori quickly glances behind her, taking note of the rather awkward expressions of her sisters, "You never told me not to invite Lincoln over."

Immediately, Lynn Sr.'s hand meets with his face, causing an audible *Slap* to echo through the room, "Girls, did you bother to tell your other sisters what I said about Lincoln?"

The remaining six girls look at each other for a moment, before shaking their heads in unison.

"No dad…" Luna awkwardly rubs the back of her head, "It never came up."

"Uhh… what's up dad?" Lori looks on in both surprise in confusion.

Lynn Sr. takes a deep breath, "Look, I know you guys like Lincoln, and I'll admit, he seems like a nice boy." He looks his daughters in the eyes, "But I don't want him coming over here. You know that your mother and I are already having a tough time supporting you girls, bringing Lincoln along isn't gonna help things."

"Oh…" Lori looks away in shame, "Sorry dad."

"Now then." He hardens his stance, "Why did you invite him over?"

"Well… uhh… you see, I kinda ran into him at the park and spent the day with him." The young woman holds her hands at her sides.

"I see, and what about Lily? You know, the reason why you went to the park in the first place?" His voice begins to fill with a commanding softness.

" _I can't lie to him… can I?"_ Lori immediately puts on an awkward smile, "Well uhh, the orphanage director offered to watch her while I spent time with Lincoln…"

Lynn Sr. stares at his eldest daughter with a harsh gaze in response.

" _I done goofed…"_ Fear fills the young woman's body.

In response, her father pinches the bridge of his nose, "So, you mean to tell me that, first, you invited Lincoln over, then spent the day with him, then, in order to spend the day with him, you left your baby sister in the hands of some old lady you don't even know?"

"Yeah…"

"Lori, after this boy comes over, you're grounded." The man holds his finger up to her, "You're supposed to be the responsible one around here! Why would you do something so reckless?!" He then motions towards the young baby in her arms, "What would you do if something happened to Lily, huh?!" He flares his arms up in annoyance. "What else did you do with him?"

"Well uhh… I took him to the arcade and bought him dinner." Meekly, Lori backs away from her father.

"So not only did you invite him over, spend the day with him, and leave your baby sister in the hands of some old woman… You decided that it would be a good idea to spend some of the money your mother and I worked so hard to get on him?!" he takes a deep breath, "I'm very disappointed in you, Lori."

Lori looks down in shame, _"There has to be a way I can fix this…"_ immediately, and idea comes to mind, "I know!" She quickly pulls out her phone and starts dialing, "I'll just call the orphanage and-"

"No Lori." Her father waves her off, "That's not necessary."

"Uhh… why's that?" Luna steps to Lori's side, "Don't you not want Lincoln coming over?"

The man doesn't hesitate to shake his head, "Even I don't have the heart to tell an orphan 'no' like that."

"So what do you want us to do, dad?" Lynn Jr. steps to Lori's side, "Ya know, since he's gonna come over… probably."

" _Not like I have much of a choice here, now do I?"_ Their father rubs his chin, _"I can't let him go around unsupervised, and I can't just tell them no…"_ He snaps his fingers, _"I know what to do."_ Then, he takes a deep breath, "All right girls, this is what I want you to do…" he points at his eldest daughter, "Lori, when he comes by, I want you to watch him. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere he isn't supposed to be, and make sure he plays well with your sisters. I'll discuss your punishment with your mother later."

"All right dad…" The young woman goes in defeat.

"Like, what should I do?!" Leni jumps in, "I like, totally have so many dresses for him to wear!"

Lynn Sr. then turns to his third-eldest daughter, "Luna, I need you to count the snacks we had in the fridge." He then mutters, "The last time that boy came around, we ended up running out of pudding."

Luna's blood runs cold with that, _"Oh… right… I gave him all our pudding…"_ She gives him a thumb's up, "No problem pops." Before she power-walks into the kitchen.

"What about the rest of us?" Lana flares her arms, "What do you want us to do?"

"The rest of you, well…" The man softens his stance, "I want you girls to come up with some stuff to do. I don't want Lincoln coming over and just sitting in front of the TV."

"All right dad!" Luan speaks up, "You're not gonna be **presidented!** " She throws her head back in laughter.

And with that, the patriarch steps passed his daughters, "Now off with you."

The girls comply by running up the stairs, no doubt to get things ready for the young boy's arrival.

" _Why do those girls care about some random orphan boy so much?!"_ The man looks at the floor as he enters his shred bedroom, prompting his wife to hop to her feet.

"What was that Lynn? Why were you screaming?" The woman's voice fills with concern. "What did the girls do this time?"

"The girls invited Lincoln back to our home is all." He takes a seat on their bed, "I was just telling them why they shouldn't do that.

"Oh…" Rita's voice trails off, "Well uhh… I see, so Lincoln's coming back?"

"Yeah, I just said that." He turns to his wife, "Lori decided to take him out to the arcade. I was screaming at her for doing that and the girls for not telling her."

The woman remains silent, unsure of just what to say in response.

"Anyways, the girls are gonna set up the house and plan for what they wanna do with him tomorrow… if he comes of course."

"All right, that's fine…" She hesitates for a moment, "Lynn… do you remember what the doctor said about us having boys?"

"How could I forget?" The man turns to his wife, "Louds have a hard time getting boys, heck, my own mom only had a one percent chance of having me!"

"Yes, I know…" Rita sits down next to her husband, "I was just thinking… since the girls don't have that many boys in their lives besides you, well, I think that spending just some time with this boy couldn't hurt…."

"Rita." The man speaks with a soft, calm voice, "I know, and I do agree. It's just… I'm afraid the girls are a bit too eager to spend some time with this random boy." His gaze softens.

"What do you mean?" The woman looks on in curiosity, "It's not like they could cause that many problems could they?"

"Rita, the boy's only come around once and already, the girls are going out to visit him and inviting him over." He holds his hands out, trying to emphasize his point, "The girls bringing friends over is fine, but everything they're doing, well, it's just happening too fast for my comfort."

"I see." Rita stands up, "Well… I'm sure the girls will find a way to keep things calm. I trust them after all."

"So do I. It's Lincoln I'm having trouble trusting." The man then turns, bringing his feet up onto the bed.

Rita responds by walking over to the other side and doing the same, "All right Lynn… All right…" She then pulls herself under the covers.

"It's just… he's only come around once and already, the girls are eager to bring him along. Look, I know we promised to keep having kids until we had a boy…" The man hesitates for a moment, "I'm just afraid that we won't be able to let go. He's got his own life.

His wife doesn't respond, choosing instead to simply stare at the nearby wall.

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

A soft, cool breeze streams in through the open orphanage window, white the milky moonlight rays follow in their wake, partially illuminating the pure-white hair of one of the occupants.

With a soft, caring voice, the young boy whispers, "And so, after traveling through the ice and snow, the young Alice found herself at the entrance to the spring of Dreams." He flips the page, "'I did it' She cheers, before pushing her injured body further. The adrenaline and her desire to see her brother again was all she had left, and all she needed to reach her destination."

He pauses for a moment, as if trying to allow the young occupants to imagine the scene- the cold ice and the young girl in a tattered jacket and pants, travelling through it in order to save her brother. Of the monsters and dragons and ghosts and goblins the she had to face in order to bring her to this point.

" _And here I thought they didn't wanna hear a bedtime story."_ Lincoln chuckles, glancing at the two other children resting behind them, before turning to face the young girl whom had asked for the story. "With her heart pounding and shaky hands, she carefully pushes the Exo-Mirror into the small pond in the center of the warm clearing." He quickly flips the page, while his voice fills with excitement, "Immediately, the mirror begins to float up, glowing with golden light as it does so!"

The boy does his best to keep calm, as to not wake the other orphans- though deep down, even he knows they are only pretending to sleep, "Alice stepped back in fear, unsure of just how to react! And yet, before she knew it, the golden mirror shattered, before reforming into the boy she had been searching for."

He then closes the book, and stands up, before placing his journal on the seat in his place and tucking the young Stacy in, "Without uttering a single word, she takes him in his arms. Soft tears streaming down her face. The young boy wordlessly returns the hug with that. And so, they stood up, and left the forest. And they lived happily ever after."

Once those words are spoken, Lincoln takes his notebook in hand and walks over to the door. He looks back at the young children one more time, before quietly opening the door. _"It is done."_ The young boy takes a deep breath as his gaze upon the young girl sleeping before him, _"Goodnight Stacy. Goodnight kids"_ His gaze falls upon the young girl's roommates for a moment, knowing that her roommates enjoyed the story, even if they would never admit it.

And so, the young boy calmly walks out of the room, making sure to slowly close the door behind him, as to not disturb their slumber.

" _And here I thought they'd never go to sleep."_ He lets out a deep breath, _"At least they weren't too worried about me. I'd never forgive myself if I let the kids suffer."_

"Hey Lincoln." Cristina walks over, clipboard in hand, "Is everyone else asleep?"

"Yeah." Lincoln tiredly nods, "I just finished putting Stacy and the others to sleep.

"Great." The redhead goes. "Anyways Linc, today was a bit chaotic without you, so I think it'd be a good idea to tell you what needs to be done…"

" _Now's not the time for this stuff…"_ Lincoln sighs in defeat, "Fine, what is it Cristina?"

"Well, Max accidently clogged the toilet… again…" Cristina awkwardly rubs the back of her head, "And here I thought that plumber girl redid the bathroom…"

Lincoln shrugs, "Well, she is only five-years-old, she's still got a lot to learn."

The redhead shakes her head, "Anyways, I need you to fix some of the old toys, more precisely the old toy cooking set, some of the old magnets, and the train set."

"Again?"

"Yeah, sorry Linc." The girl moves her clipboard at her side.

"Is there any good news?" Lincoln goes in annoyance.

"Well uhh…" Cristina flips through the pages, "Chandler hasn't really caused that much trouble since… ya know."

"Don't mention it." The boy sighs, and steps passed the redhead, "Just… remind me in the morning."

"All right." Cristina looks on in worry for a moment, "Also, do you know when those girls are coming back? Some of the kids have been asking me when they'll visit again."

Lincoln thinks about it for a moment, before shaking his head, "No, sorry Cristina."

"Oh… all right." And with that, she watches as Lincoln walks passed her and enter his own room.

Almost immediately after, the director steps into view, closing one of her children's room doors behind her, "How is he doing Cristina?" Hope fills her voice

"From what I saw, he was telling more chipper stories to put the kids to sleep." The girl answers, her voice fills with a calm seriousness.

"Good. This is very good." The old woman breathes a sign in relief, _"He's finally moving on… but I just have to make sure…"_

"All right Cristina, your work here is done. Off to bed." She then motions towards one of the rooms, prompting the young girl to nod, "Yes Mrs. Sherman." Before following and stepping into said room.

" _Now I just have to make sure he is as Cristina reports."_ The director then makes her way over to the young boy's room.

Slowly, she peers inside, before pushing her way in, "Hello Lincoln."

Quickly, the young boy shoves his locket back in his shirt, "Hey Ms. Sherman."

" _He was looking at that photo again…"_ The woman takes a seat on the bed next to his, "I just wanted to check up on you."

She places a soft hand on his shoulder, "How was the time you spent with that young woman?"

" _Besides the fact that she didn't_ _ **really**_ _Care about you, it was fine!"_ Lincoln remains silent for a moment, _"But… if she didn't care, why did she choose to invite me over? Why did she choose to listen to my babbling?!"_

"Lincoln?" Worry begins to fill the old director's voice.

In response, the boy clutches the locket, _"And she trusts me… that I'll be able to pay her kindness back…"_ A soft smile begins to form on the boy's face, "It was … fun."

"Oh?" Interest fills the woman's body, "What did you do?"

"We went to the arcade, played some games, got some food…" Lincoln's grip tightens, "She invited me over…"

" _Wow, and here I thought that…"_ A sincere smile forms on the woman's face, "Are you planning on going Lincoln?"

The boy shakes his head, "I thought about it and well…" the laundry list of chorse he has to do reenters his mind, "Well… you guys need me around don't you? The kids have been wonderin' where I've gone and if those girls would be coming back."

"Now Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman waves him off, "I'm sure everything is gonna be all right. Why don't you go?"

" _It would be the first time you would be allowed into someone else's home…"_ Lincoln thinks, _"Then again…"_

"Think about it, I'm sure things will be all right." The woman stands up, "I'll have my husband drop you off, all right?"

In response, the young boy nodes, "Thanks Ms. Sherman."

"And don't worry, we'll hold down the for while you're gone." And with that, the woman steps out of the room.

" _This is the worst idea you've ever agreed to."_ The voice speaks up. Yet, instead of answering, Lincoln simply pulls out the locket and looks up to the waxing moon above.

 _ **The Next Day…**_

"Thanks for this Mr. Sherman." Lincoln whispers, as the old man calmly walks at his side.

"It's not a problem at all." The man answers, looking down at the young boy as he does so, "By the way, have you thought about what I told you?"

Lincoln's unsure silence is all he needs as an answer.

"Just think about it, after all, it'll come up when you least expect it." The man smiles at the boy, before stopping in front of a familiar home. "Anyways, is this the place?

"Ok…"Lincoln whispers, before turning to the home, "Yeah, it is… thanks."

"No problem." Mr. Sherman smiles, "All right Lincoln." He lets go of the boy's hand, "Go have fun now."

"Aren't you gonna stay around?" he turns to the old man, his voice filling with worry.

The man waves him off. "You don't need me around." He then begins to walk away, "Just give me a call if you need a ride home."

" _All right…"_ The boy turns to face the door, _"Here goes nothing!"_ With a single gulp, he knocks on the door. *Knock* *Knock*

Immediately, the door swings open, revealing the young patriarch of the Loud family, "Hello there."

"H-hi Mr. Loud." The boy meekly answers, "L-Lori invited me over, "M-may I come in?"

For a moment, Lynn Sr. stands before the boy, a harsh air overtaking the duo. _"I have to watch out for the girls…"_ Yet, the man relents, choosing instead to step aside and motion for the boy to step inside, "Yes, Lori told me you'd be coming, please, come in."

" _Lincoln, you know you're gonna make a big mess! Why are you insisting on continuing with these people?!"_ Lincoln pushes the thought to the back of his mind, before entering the home.

"Girls! Lincoln's here!" Lynn Sr. shouts, prompting the girls to respond, "Coming!"

And within mere moments, Lynn slides down the railing and lands in the living room.

"Hey Lynn, what's up?" Lincoln awkwardly greets.

"Nothin' much!" Lynn grabs the boy's arms, "Come on, I've been lookin' for someone to help me train!"

"Wait Lynn I-" Lincoln tries to argue, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

The young woman pulls him into the back yard, dropping him by a plastic practice dummy, "All right Lincoln, all I need you to do is stand there, and when I punch it, I need you to hold it up, ok?"

"Uhh, can't one of your sisters do this with ya?" Lincoln doesn't hesitate to hide behind the fake man.

"Haha! Now Lincoln, just cause I got nine sisters doesn't mean that we're all gonna always have someone to hang out with!" She then readies her stance, "Now then, ready kid?"

"You're not that much older than me!"

The athlete waves him off, before charging the dummy, "Ready or not, here I come!" She then jumps up and spins, before kicking the practice dummy away, causing it to clip the fence and land in the neighbor's yard.

"Dangit." Lynn goes, before turning to her partner, "Well Linc, looks like I'm gonna have to get my training dummy back, go talk to one of my other sisters while I'm workin' on it!"

"Ok…" Lincoln raises an eyebrow.

The girl promptly punches his arm, "But don't get too cozy now, I still need ya to be ready for practice later!"

"All right Lynn." Lincoln slowly steps away from the young athlete, before the latter steps back and rushes the fence, climbing into the neighbor's yard as she does so.

" _This was a horrible idea."_ The young boy can't help but think as he steps back into the home, _"See! I told ya so! Quick, just walk over to the door and slip out. The girls aren't gonna notice you leave! No one ever does!"_ The white-haired boy mentally nods, before quickly scanning his surroundings. He finds himself standing in the kitchen, with no one around to stop him.

Immediately, he clings to the nearby wall, before scooting over to the kitchen doorway, _"All right, just like you've practiced. Don't make a sound and you'll be able to get out of the house and they'll be none the wiser."_ Without hesitation, he picks in the doorway, catching sight of the patriarch of the family, _"Dangit, this complicates things."_

He gives the room another click glance, allowing his gaze to fall upon the window overlooking the sink, _"Well, that's a way out. It's gonna be a tough fit though."_ He takes a deep breath and bolts for his exit. With skill only achieved from years of practice, he climbs the kitchen counter and stands before the locked window. _"All right, I just gotta-"_

"Hey Lincoln." A monotone voice greets, causing the boy to jump up in surprise, "What the-" He stumbles back, promptly falling off the kitchen counter, though he's able to hold his arms back to break his fall. "Ugh, what the?" He rubs his head in pain, before looking around for the source.

"What's up?" The voice greets again, causing his gaze to fall upon the Gothic Girl of the family.

"Oh, hey Lucy." Lincoln climbs back on his feet. "I was just uhh… opening a window."

"You were planning on leaving." Lucy flatly responds.

"How did you-"

The seven-year-old looks away, "It's what I'd do after spending time with Lynn… she's always so rough when it comes to stuff to do."

"Oh well I uhh…"

"If you wanna go, I understand." The young girl blushes, "I just uhh… wanted to see if I could convince you to come up to my room with me. I'm sure two lonely souls could find something fun to do."

" _Dangit Lincoln, you're supposed to run away! Not get caught up by this kid's stupid crush on you!"_ Lincoln shakes his head, before taking a deep breath, "Lucy, I…"

"Please Lincoln?" She looks up, into his soft brown eyes, while allowing the boy to see, just a small hint of her own brown eyes.

*Sigh* _"Why am I such a sucker for those puppy dog eyes?"_ the boy thinks in defeat, "Fine Lucy, I'll come up with you."

Lucy gives a soft smile, before grabbing his hand, "We'll take the vents, my dad isn't in the best of moods right now."

"What do you-" yet, before he can finish the question, Lucy pulls open a small hatch in the wall, revealing to her secret passageway. "In here."

" _This is crazy! Why are you going along with any of this?!"_ The voice continues, though Lincoln doesn't bother arguing with it. Instead, he simply follows Lucy inside.

A few minutes later, the duo lands in the Gothic Girl's shared room, its dark colored walls are only contrasted by the numerous bright balls and sporting equipment strewn throughout the floor.

"This is my room." Lucy jumps down from the vent and rolls on her bed, "I share it with Lynn."

"Wow, that's… strange I guess." Lincoln follows her example, landing next to the girl as he does so, _"Then again, I've shared a room with my sister all my life."_

"Lynn's hard to live with, I know. But I somehow manage to deal with her." Lucy then jumps off her bed and begins to dig under her bed, "I just wanted to show you my wishing bone collection.

" _Ok, this girl is seriously creepy."_ The boy can't help, but think as he watches Lucy disappear under the bed.

"Hey Linc." A voice whispers, causing Lincoln to dart his head around for a moment, allowing his gaze to fall upon the young plumber waiting by the door, motioning for him to come along.

Without hesitation, he hops to his feet and sneaks through the room and meets with Lana, "What's up?"

"I wanted to show you some more of my welding work, and my newest pets!" She grabs his hand and guides him into the room next door.

And a moment later, Lincoln stands before Lana's bed, with the five-year-old holding up a small, green frog, "This is my pet frog, Hops!" The frog follows it up with "Ribbit!"

"Heh, nice." Lincoln chuckles, "How about the welding work? I'm sure you've improved since you last showed me what you could do."

Lana nods, "Yeah, I have!" She then turns and begins to go through her drawers.

" _See Lincoln, you've been worryin' too much. These girls are just excited is all! It's not like they have a brother to spend time with…"_ Lincoln softly sighs, _"Liberty was always excited when I could hang out with her."_

"Eww!" Another voice calls out, causing the duo to turn towards the source.

Now, Lola and Leni had entered the room, cuasing the young diva to catch a glimpse of the young boy, "What's that dirty boy doing in our room Lana?!"

"I was just showin' him my pets!" Lana excitedly answers, before pulling out a small line of rebar, "And I was just about to show him more of my welding work!"

Lola scoffs at them, "Whatever Lana, I don't want him in our room!" She then points at the door, "Get out!" Though she thinks, _"I need to have power over him. I need to show that I'm not just a weak little girl!"_

"Whatever Lola." Lana hops to her feet, walks over to Lola and crosses her arms, "I live here too ya know. And I want him to stay!"

"Oh yeah?!" Lola shouts, "Well I want him out!"

The duo raises their fists at each other for a moment, before jumping up, causing a small ball of violence to form in front of him.

Leni laughs, "Like, I totes didn't notice you!" The young woman steps around her warring sisters, and over to Lincoln, "Like, wanna come to my room, it'll totes be awesome!"

" _She's just gonna make you try on more dresses isn't she."_ Lincoln looks at the perky young woman, then at the ball of violence in front of him. _"I should break them up… I mean, the orphans sometimes get into fights but… usually t's better for them to sort out their problems on their own…"_ He lets out a deep breath, "Well… I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Eeee!" Leni squeals in excitement, before grabbing Lincoln's arm, "You're totes not gonna regret this!"

" _What did I just get myself into?"_ Lincoln immediately thinks, before Leni pulls him out of the twins' room and into her own.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"All right Linky, I just need you to pick, which outfit looks better?!" Leni holds up two articles of clothing, both identical to the one she is wearing- a typical light green one-piece dress.

Lincoln rubs his chin for a moment, "Well I, uhh, think the one on the the right looks better on you."

Leni holds the two up for a moment, comparing them as she does so, "Ok!" She then turns and goes into her closet again, pulling out two orange dresses as she does so, "What about these?!"

The boy rubs his chin for a moment. Yet, before he can answer another voice calls out, "There you are Lincoln!"

Immediately, the duo turn to the source, Lori, Luna and Luan waiting at the door.

The eldest sister steps forward, "I was literally looking everywhere for you!" The young woman holds up an old JoyBoy console, "I found my old nintento JoyBoy! I wanted to see if you wanted to play some video games!"

" _Wow, video games, again? That actually sounds like a lot of fun!"_ Lincoln rubs his chin for a moment. "Well I-"

"Now hold it sis." Luna steps forward, "How about a jam session first! I hear you know a lot of good songs!"

" _Yeah, cause my mom loved to sing…"_ Lincoln thinks, "Well I-"

"First and foremost, he need puns!" Luan cuts in with Mr. Coconuts. "Come on, I'm worryin' on my puns here! They're not gonna be wooden at all!"

"Girls calm down, I'll-" Lincoln defensively holds his hands up, desperate to calm his situation down… to no acail

"Hey! We had him first!" Lynn, Lucy and Lana shout, before jumping at Lincoln.

And before he knows it, Lincoln is being pulled from side to side by the loud sisters, as well as causing the home to fill with the shouting from the disgruntled family members.

* * *

" _Great, what's going on now?"_ Lynn Sr. thinks in frustration, before he climbs the stairs up to his room.

"No, I want him!" Luna shouts, followed up by Lana screaming, "But I had him first!"

Lucy immediately counters, "No, I had him first. You took him from me!"

" _Dangit, those girls are fighting over this boy now."_ The man steps over to his eldest daughter's room, _"Well, then, nothin' to it, just open the door up and-"_

"Girls!" Lincoln shouts, causing the five young women fighting over him to stop and stare in surprise.

Lincoln takes a deep breath, allowing a commanding tone to overtake his voice, "Girls, how about instead of fighting over me, we try to have fun together?"

The girls look at each other and nod in agreement, "All right Lincoln…"

Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. simple tilts his head in curiosity.

The young boy proceeds to walk over to the nearby dry-erase board the father had installed to help Lori study… not that she ever bothered using it of course.

"Ok, how about this…" The boy begins to scrawl down some notes, "How about we all just try to do some stuff together? I mean, trying to plan for seven girls isn't gonna be easy ya know…"

"Ya know what Lincoln…" Lori rubs her chin for a moment, "That actually sounds like a good idea…"

Prompting the rest of the Loud girls to nod along in agreement.

" _Wait… did he just… get the girls to agree on something?!"_ Lynn Sr.'s eyes go wide in shock, _"Rita and I have never been able to do that?!"_

"All right, how about… we play some Jenga?" Lynn Jr. pulls a small game from the closet.

"I'll set up the tower!" Lana shouts, before running over.

"And I'll get the score sheets!" Luna adds, _"I guess I'll ask him about that song later…"_

Yet, their eldest sister cut in, "Luna! There are no score sheets in jenga!"

And al while this happens, Lynn Sr. can't help but watch in stupor.

 _ **Later…**_

"And they all lived happily, ever, after…" Lincoln whispers, before tucking Lana in for the night. He then turns, only to come across the rest of the girls watching him in surprise.

"What?" The boy tilts his head in curiosity.

"Nothing." Lucy goes, "It's just… where'd you learn how to tell a story like that?" She pulls out a small notebook, "I'm a poet and I would like to know how to improvise and free write…"

" _Well. This was unexpected."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "No worries Lucy, I'll teach ya how."

Lucy smiles, "Thanks Lincoln."

"So, what's next?" Lori steps forward, "You put Lana and Lola to sleep… somehow and it's getting late."

Lynn Sr. then steps forward, "What's next is that it's time for Lincoln to go home."

"What?!" the remaining Loud Girls go in unison, before they all give defeated sighs of disappointment.

"Come on Lincoln, I'll drive ya home." Lynn Sr goes.

" _Remember the last time you were in a car!"_ Lincoln shakes his head, "Sure Lynn Sr. Thanks!"

The man remains silent as he turns and walks down the stairs and out to the vehicle waiting outside.

And after a few minutes of starting it up, they drive off and take to the moonlit road of Royal woods.

Silence overtakes them for a moment, with neither of them sure just what to say next. Though, eventually, Lynn Sr. is the one to fill the void. "Why Lincoln?"

Lincoln looks out the window, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you trying to around the girls so much?" The man continues, his voice filling with annoyance, _"This kid has gotta want something. I can't let him hurt the girls."_

" _Yeah, you've been coming around more often."_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, "I'm not really looking to be around them a lot…"

"Oh really now?" The man raises an eyebrow. "Then why'd you decide to come over today?"

"Well…" Lincoln simply watches the dark neighborhoods pass them by, "Ms. Sherman suggested I go… I guess it's to get my mind off my sister… she got adopted the other day and things just haven't been the same without her…"

"I see." The man counters,his voice unwavering against the boy, "Well uhh, are you at least doing well without her?"

Lincoln chooses not to answer that, much to the man's dismay, "Well have you ever wondered, maybe your sister is happier, ya know, wherever she is."

"She's not… I just know it…" Though he can't help but think, _"Maybe she really is…"_

"How do you know?" The man asks.

"We've never been happy without each other." The boy answers. "I just know she would've rather stayed…"

" _This kid doesn't have much hope in himself, now does he?"_ Lynn Sr. turns onto another dark road, no doubt moving closer to their destination, "Well uhh… does that mean you want Liberty to be stuck with ya in the orphanage until they had to move out?"

Lincoln remains silent, though soft tears begin to stream down his cheeks.

" _Dangit."_ The man regretfully thinks, "Look, I didn't mean it like that…" He takes a deep breath, "It's just… you seem really close to her and well… maybe you both need to move on."

"Yeah, no one's adopted me and nobody probably will. Liberty was the one with all the talent, not me." He shakes his head. _"Maybe it was better for her to go without me…"_

For a moment, the man can't help but turn to the boy in surprise, "You don't really believe that… do you?"

"Why should I expect anything else?" A soft chuckle comes to the boy, but returning to a disappointed frown, "The closest I've ever been to adoption was this strange family from New York." He looks down, "But I refused…"

"Why's that?"

"I didn't wanna leave my sister…" He sighs, "I guess we all have to say goodbye eventually…"

" _No child should have to say goodbye so soon…"_ Lynn doesn't say anything. _"But… he's more talented than he lets on… Not even Rita or I could spin a bedtime story that good on the fly, and We've had ten kids worth of practice!"_

"Still, Lincoln, you sure no one would be willing to adopt you?" The man speaks in a more understanding voice, "I mean, there are lots of new couples that could-"

The boy doesn't hesitate to cut him off, "Mr. Loud, save it, I've heard that speech over and over again. At this point, the only thing I get out of that is the fact that everyone around me is willing to lied just to try and cheer me up." He sighs, "At this point, there's no weight to it… it's like writing five-word-sentences over and over again. It drones on, causing whatever you're doing to lose meaning." While he thinks, _"Besides…"_ the thought trails off, as if even he is starting to reconsider it.

" _There's… more to him than he's letting on… maybe that's why he was separated from his sister even though they've been fighting it for years…"_ An idea pops into the man's mind, as he turns down a familiar block and stops in front of the Royal Woods Orphanage. "Anyways Lincoln, we're here."

"Thanks for the ride Mr. Loud." Lincoln goes, before turning and jumping out of the van.

"Hey Lincoln." The man speaks up.

"Yeah?" The boy turns back, not noticing the foyer lights turning on as soon as he had jumped out of the van.

"Have a goodnight." The man pauses for a moment, hesitating if he should add anything else on, though choosing instead to shake his head, _"No… I'll let my daughters handle it…"_

"Goodnight Mr. Loud." Lincoln responds, closing the door to the van as he does so. Almost immediately, the boy is swarmed by younger kids who had stayed up past bedtime for him to tell them bedtime stories.

"Come on Lincoln!" A boy shouts, with the rest of them nodding in agreement.

Lynn then watches after Lincoln, overlaying images of the younger ones acting around him with his younger daughters as they acted did around the boy as well. _"He's like a big brother to them… just like he's like the brother Rita and I could never give our daughters… Maybe, just maybe, they're more to their kindness than I thought."_

"Thank you Mr. Loud." The director steps over to the car. "I expect Lincoln was well behaved?"

"No problem." He answers with a nod, "And yeah, the girls loved him."

The woman smiles, "That's great."

"Heh, anyways, goodnight." Lynn Sr. puts the family van in drive.

"Goodnight." The woman steps away from the van and turns back to her children.

And with that, Lynn Sr. drives off, into the dark night, with only a single thought resting in his mind, _"Maybe it won't be so bad having him come around… maybe…"_

12-9-14-3-15-12-14 9-19 23-1-18-13-9-14-7 21-16 20-15 20-8-5-13 1-6-20-5-18 1-12-12!

 **A/N Welp before I say anything, I apologize for being so late in posting this chapter. Life at home hasn't really been the best in the past few weeks, and most grades in school aren't helping matters. Here's a head's up: My next update for this story will most likely happen in 2 weeks, as I have another test this week (Which is the final). Also, I'll be updating Unwavering Bonds next.**

 **I thank Wolvenstrom, Exotos135 and Sunblast-X for their help!**

 **One last thing, I'm looking for a new beta-editor. If anyone's interested or has a suggestion for who I could ask, please PM me!**


	11. Finding A Mind

**A/N Hey guys, I'm back! Yeah, this chapter is uber-tier late. But I have a reason! I was planning on updating last week… and then I got a virus scare. Yeah, I can write through a lot of things, but a virus scare is not one of them. (Turns out my old anti-virus was a form of malware). Anyways, it's all fixed now, and I can get back to writing! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Eleven: Finding A Mind

"Settle down girls, settle down!" Lori shouts while slamming her shoe on her podium as she does so, signaling for the overly excited girls to simmer down. "Come on girls! I need you guys to cool it! I wanna get this meeting started already!"

"Aww don't be such downer Lori!" Luan holds up her rubber chicken in her right hand, as if prepared to clock someone in the jaw with it, "We're just too **high** to go down that easily!"

Lori can't help but mentally smile. Yeah, normal days in the Loud House were fun and all, but she finds it nice to see all of her sisters getting along and, well, spending more than just five minutes with each other and then getting back to practicing their talents. It almost seems surreal.

"Well I can't argue with that." She chuckles before slamming her shoe on the podium again, "But that's no excuse! Girls! Listen up!"

A few moments pass before the joy-filled sounds of Lori and Leni's shared room die down, allowing the eldest sister to continue, "As you all know, Lincoln came over again today to just hang out. And from the look of it, it was a complete success!" Her voice fills with pride, while she mentally fills with hope, _"We probably even put dad's fears to rest too!"_ She continues, "So what do you girls think I'd love to hear your thoughts!" While she promptly thinks, _"Plus, I wanna know if they think it's a good idea to invite him back."_

"I'll admit… that was more fun that I thought it would be." Lucy is the first to speak, blushing ever so slightly as she does so. _"Lincoln likes me back… he just has to. He even crawled through the vents with me instead of running away!"_ The young Goth then glances down at her small notebook. Its pages filled with the thoughts and feelings she would never share. _"Oh Great Grandma Harriet, please be right."_

"Yeah!" Lynn cuts in, throwing her free arm around her Gothic Sister "Plus, it was nice having someone who was willing to take a punch for me!" While she keeps her eyes focused on the small ball she is spinning on her finger.

"Uhh, what?" Lori goes, with the rest of the Loud sisters turning to her in surprise.

"What?!" Lynn throws her arms up in surrender, causing the ball to fly across the room and out the door, "All he did was hold a dummy up for me! It wasn't that big a deal!" While she can't help but think, " _Though, I've never seen a boy run that fast before… it was… nice…"_ She chuckles with that, her cheeks heating up ever so softly.

Lana then interjects, holding up her newly restored and restocked toolbox, "Plus, he taught me how to repair all of the old toys we've broken!"

"Poo-poo!" Lily squeals, flailing her arms in excitement. "Wincoln poo-poo!"

"Nice one, Lily!" Luan says as she rubs her baby sister's head, prompting the infant to soil herself, resulting in both Luan and her own smiles to fall into surprised frowns.

Thought of course, Luan doesn't miss the chance to point out the timing, "Haha! It's a good thing you didn't lay one on him while he was here!" She raises her up with both hands, "You didn't wanna **soil** his visit did ya?!"

"Ugh." The sisters grown, with some even face palming.

"Seriously?! Luan?" Lori pinches the bridge of her nose, "That was just… no."

Luan shrugs, "Oh well, at least I tried!" She holds her finger up and leans back, "It's not like everyone enjoys **dirty** jokes!"

"Poo-poo!" Lily cheers, no doubt amused by her elder sister's attempts at comedy.

"Haha! Lily liked it!" the comedian cheers, followed by Leni speaking up.

"I liked it too!" Leni turns away from her workbench and chirps, "It was nice finally having such a good model!" then, with a prideful grin, the fashionista stands up and displays a Lincoln-sized dress, "Ta-da! Thanks to Lincoln I was finally able to get the sizes right!"

"Heh, and the jam session we had-" Luna starts, while she begins to strum a familiar tune.

Though, Lola cuts in before she can finish. "Whatever! You girls going on about Lincoln is starting to get on my nerves!" Her voice cuts through the room's joy-filled atmosphere.

Lori immediately turns to face the five-year-old pageant queen, a quizzical and slightly annoyed expression on the elder woman's face, "What's up Lola?"

The young girl stares at her sister for a short moment, her frustration building, before she snaps, flares her arms and shouts, "While you were all busy wasting time with that stupid boy, no one's been helping me get ready for my pageant!"

"He's not a stupid boy!" Lana rushes at her twin, making sure to get in her face as she does so, "In fact, I think he's even smarter than you!"

Yet, not to be outdone, Lola pushes back against Lana, "So what?! You girls are just gonna put him before your own sister?!" She turns away and crosses her arms, making sure to scoff as she does so, "Seriously? How can you girls even look at yourselves?!"

For a moment, silence overtakes the room, as if the girls are taking the diva's words to heart.

" _I'm just going this to help him out, right? I'm not forgetting about my own sisters!"_ Lori worriedly thinks, before looking towards the rest of her sisters, the young women choosing not to respond.

Though eventually, Luna speaks up, strumming her guitar as she does so, "Yo Lola, calm down." She strums her guitar ever so softly, filling the room with its soft notes.

The young girl is taken aback for a moment, before she stares at Luna in disbelief and starts stomping her feet, signaling the beginning of one of her famous tantrums, "Don't you tell me to calm down! I'm not the one wasting my time and ignoring her little sister's problems just to spend time with a random boy Lynn found off the street!"

"Come on Lola, we're not wasting our time with him." Luna shakes her head, "I mean come on! We're just having fun! What's wrong with that?" While she can't help but think, _"Plus, I didn't even get a chance to have a full jam session with him! And I haven't even been able to find out what song he sang either…"_

" _The person you're trying to have fun with is immune to my tantrums is why!"_ Lola stares Luna in the eyes, _"No one in this house should be able to stand up to me that easily! If he comes around more often, he's gonna start taking over everything!"_ Before she answers, "You know that it takes forever to get anything ready in this house!"

"Now sister…" Lisa says as she pulls out her calculator, "You are aware that no matter how ready you are for your next pageant, you have been unable to surpass Lindsey Sugarbottom, whose participation, may I remind you, is the reason why you have yet to earn first place.

Lola grits her teeth in annoyance, "Can it Lisa! Your negative babbling isn't gonna help me win a pageant any time soon!"

"I am only trying to speak the truth." Lisa speaks with a monotone voice uncharacteristic of a typical three-year-old, "Please under-" Though, she stops when Lola's anger-filled eyes fall upon her.

Now Lisa, typically, isn't a child who scares easily. This, of course, is due to her deliberate effort to divorce herself from what she deems "irrational human emotions". However, even she cannot help but feel cowed by Lola's fiery temper, especially given what happened to her the last time she incurred Lola's wrath.

" _Poor Mr. Snuzzles…"_ Lisa forces herself to keep up the illusion of a stoic outer demeanor for a moment, before she adjusts her glasses, stands up straight and turns around. "Very well sister units," she says with a yawn. "I believe it is time I retire to my room for the night. Good evening, siblings." And with that, she walks over to the door, which Leni cheerfully opens for her, and she steps out into the Loud House hallway.

" _Close one."_ She thinks, _"Any longer and those useless sentimental emotions would have started to grate on my brain power._

"Ahh, there you are dear!" Rita greets as she walks up to her second youngest daughter. "I was just looking for you and the girls!"

"They're currently talking in Lori's room." The toddlers nonchalantly answers, "How can I be of service, mother?"

"Do you have anything planned tomorrow?" Rita asks.

The young scientist rubs her chin for a moment. "Hmm, well my application to teach at the community college has not been accepted yet and I have completed this week's experiment already… so no, I believe I have nothing scheduled for tomorrow."

"Good." Rita lifts the young girl up. "Wanna come to the mall with me tomorrow? I have to pick up some stuff."

"I'd rather not," Lisa answers while shaking her head. "There's nothing I need at the mall at the moment, especially since I realized that I have almost everything I need already in my room."

"Well, remember Lisa, just because you can make a lot of things in your room, doesn't mean you'll always have everything you want." The woman looks from side to side for a moment, knowing just how touchy her daughter is when it comes to what she is about to say. She leans in and whispers, "Plus, we're out of that formula you like so much."

Lisa's face goes red in embarrassment for a moment, before she crosses her arms and looks away, "Fine."

"Now don't be all Ms. Pouty face or else I'm only gonna buy enough for Lily!" Rita taunts, prompting the young girl to relent, and instead tap her fingers together out of nervousness. "All right mother, all right.

"Good." Rita then bring Lisa into her room. She carefully steps around her toddler daughter's latest experiments and easily climbs over the piles of scientific papers on her way to the bed. And when she finally arrives, she carefully lowers the young girl into it and tucks her in, "Now get some sleep dear, we're gonna be up early so that there'll be some left when we get there."

"Very well, mother." Lisa then pulls the sheets over herself, further covering her body in thee think sheets.

And with that, Rita turns around, steps through the labyrinth of Lisa's room and over to the doorway, "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, mother." Lisa answers.

And with that, Rita calmly takes a deep breath, before flicking off the light and exiting the room. _"_ She really needs to go out more…" She mutters to herself. "She's always cooped up in her room doing science stuff, but I've never seen her actually spend time with someone even close to her age…" And with that, she heads down the stairs, only to come face-to-face with her husband, the man sporting a look of distress on his face.

"Welcome home dear." Rita places her hands together in front of her, "Are you all right?"

"Hey Rita…" The man's voice trails off, while the man looks away, as if trying to understand his own thoughts, _"Was I really wrong about him?"_

Rita's heart fills with worry. _"What could've happened? He's never like this…"_ And so, slowly, she steps over and places a soft hand on his cheek, "What's the matter dear?"

"That kid… he isn't anything like I thought he was…" The man whispers, followed by him thinking, _"He… he spent time with the girls because he wanted to spend time with them… and they wanted to spend time with him. He even got them to stop fighting so that they could all enjoy their time together…"_

"Lynn?" The woman looks on in worry, "Are you all right?"

 _"No…"_ The man's flustered thoughts continue on, filling his mind as if it were a hurricane of thoughts, _"This is all just an act, it_ _ **has**_ _to be! It's all a ruse to trick us into take him in! He's not_ _ **really**_ _this well behaved or good at breaking up fights!"_

"Lynn!" She shouts, breaking the man out of his confused trance.

He darts his eyes around for a moment, confusion beginning to build in his body, "Huh? What the?!" His eyes go wide with the realization, "Hey, when'd I walk in here?"

Rita looks on in concern for a moment, "About a five minutes ago…" She looks inot the man's nervous eyes, "What's wrong Lynn?"

The man hesitates for a moment. _"Should I tell her? No… I can't let him… but those kids love him… Maybe…"_ He shakes his head, "Nothing, Rita. It's nothing."

"Is it about Lincoln?" Rita grabs onto his shoulder, "I know you don't-"

"No, it's not about Lincoln." Lynn cuts her off, "Lincoln was fine is all… Lincoln was fine."

Rita then raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Oh? Then why are you-"

"No reason." Lynn break free of his wife's grip, "It's nothing, I'm just tired is all." And with that, he steps passed her and walks into their shared bedroom, closing the door behind him as he does so.

"Lynn…" For a moment, the woman considers following and demanding that he explain himself. Yet, instead, she finds her self calmly taking a seat on the couch and grabbing for the remote, _"Oh Lynn, what's going on between you and Lincoln?"_ She takes a deep breath, _"And why are you so worked up now?"_

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Ok, kids, ok!" I'll tell you guys a story! I'll tell you guys a story!" Lincoln chuckles as the many children pull him into the orphanage foyer and shove his notebook in his hands. _"Heh, I guess these kids missed me more than I thought…"_

A familiar voice speaks up, _"Yeah, and they're gonna keep missing you more if you choose to keep going to that blasted house!"_ Though Lincoln forces it to the back of his mind.

"Please Wincoln!" A young boy motions towards a small folding chair standing in front of the small, old couch.

Lincoln chooses to run his hand through the boy's hair, "Don't worry Billy, I will, I will." He looks towards the group of waiting children, "I'll tell a story for you all, but first I gotta talk to Cristina." He turns towards the doorway, "I'm sure there's-"

"Nope," A familiar voice answers, before the young redhead walks into the room, clipboard in hand and an exhausted Chandler following close behind. "Mrs. Sherman got Chandler here to take on your… rather ridiculously large share of the chores for the day." She holds the clipboard at her side, "She mentioned that you might be doing this a bit for the next few days."

"Yeah…" Lincolns rubs his head awkwardly, "Sorry for not telling you. I just… forgot you know."

Cristina shrugs, "It's fine Linc. Just make sure to check in please. There are some chores that not even Chandler or I can do."

" _Well that's just great, Lincoln!"_ A familiar voice echoes in his mind, _"Now you've gone and done it! Before, all you were doing was skirting your duties as the oldest in the orphanage, but now you're making poor chandler do it all for you! How can you even live with yourself?! You useless-"_

"Come on Lincoln, can you tell us a story now?!" A girl grabs Lincoln's hand and pulls, attempting to drag him over to the seat. Immediately, more of the children come along in an attempt to help out.

"I think I'll-" The white-haired boy looks around for a moment, only to catch a glimpse of the orphanage director, a soft smile on her face. She watches the scene for a moment with joy filling her body.

" _I haven't seen Lincoln smile like that in a long time…"_ The woman steps into the room, "All right children, settle down now, settle down!"

The children quiet down with that, before turning to the old woman, "I know you're all excited to have Lincoln back and are excited to spend time with him…" her voice fills with a soft, tender, care, "But our Fundraiser is tomorrow morning, so I need all of you to be well rested!" She holds her finger up to them, "You wanna make a good impression don't ya?"

"Aww." The children sigh in unison… though Lincoln can't help but breathe a silent sigh of relief.

In order to keep up the major expenses the Shermans would have to undertake in order to hold an adoption fair, it is customary for the director and her husband to hold a fund raiser immediately afterwards. Though, as much as they would like to deny it, this serves two purposes. First, to replenish their funds so that they could continue to keep the orphanage open, and second, to hopefully bring some attention to the children, left behind after the fair.

Mrs. Sherman then steps aside and motions for the children to go to their rooms, "Now off to bed with you!" She turns to the young boy, "Lincoln, would you mind doing your usual nighttime rounds?"

The boy shakes his head, "Not at all Ms. Sherman." He steps behind the children, "Let me just-"

Yet, the woman places a hand on his shoulder, "Please stay a moment." She smiles at him, "I would like to know how your day was."

Lincoln nods, "It was fun."

"How fun?" She chuckles, "Was it grand?"

" _Yeah, your day was grand!"_ More thoughts cross his mind, _"It was grand at the orphan's expense! Don't you see how much they missed you after you were gone for just one day?! Imagine what'll happen if you start going over to them regularly! I don't even think Liberty would be able to look at you after seeing how far you've fallen!"_

Yet, he forces that thought away. "It was fine." He rubs the back of his head, unsure of just how to describe his time with the Loud girls, "I mean we hung out, I broke up one of their fights." He smiles, "I even got a chance to get to know the girls better! Hah hah, they're pretty talented you know."

" _Yeah, and they're more talented than you'll ever be. Just face it!"_ The voice speaks up once more, _"Why are you forcing them to spend time with you and your untalented self?!"_

"Oh?" She says, rubbing his head lovingly. "Well, why don't you tell me about them? I'm sure there's plenty to talk about when it comes to a family as big as that!" While she can't help but think, _"And you are more talented than you let yourself think Lincoln… you just have to open your mind to the possibilities…"_

Lincoln then takes her hand in his. "Well… one of them loves music." He smiles, "She even got me to have a jam session with her!"

The woman raises an eyebrow, "Oh? And what did you do in that 'jam session'?" She chuckles, "You kids and your strange phrases."

" _She doesn't understand. You just wasted time with them!"_ The voice shouts once more, yet Lincoln forces it away, "We played music and stuff!" The boy puts on a nostalgic smile, "She even taught me a new song!"

"Tell me it later." The woman rubs his head, "I wanna hear about what you did with the other girls first."

" _She doesn't really care! She's just trying to convince you that you're better off with those girls!"_ Lincoln rubs his chin, "Well uhh… another one tried and well… succeeded in getting me to help her make a dress."

"Oh?" The woman raises an eyebrow in confusion, before softening her expression. "She know you are a boy, right?" She asks with a chuckle. "Though, of course, I'm sure she meant no harm by it."

" _Course she didn't. All she did was remind you that you had a sister that was way better than you'll ever be! Ya know, no biggie!"_ The voice begins to overtake Lincoln as if it were a cloud covering his body.

"Heh yeah…" Lincoln's voice trails off.

" _He is tired…"_ The woman immediately thinks, before rubbing his head, "Anyway, while I'm sure you've done plenty with those girls, I need you to be ready in the morning too, all right Lincoln?"

Lincoln nods. "Yeah…"

"All right. Off to bed with you!" Mrs. Sherman commands, before motioning him to step passed her.

Wordlessly, the young boy complies and walks passed the woman, "Goodnight, Ms. Sherman."

"Goodnight, Lincoln."

 _ **The Next Day…**_

Excitement fills the air surrounding the children as they walk along the old, worn roads of Royal Woods, on their way to the mall. No doubt today the place would be full of people: the perfect place to hold a fundraiser.

Mr. and Mrs. Sherman lead the group while the oldest children hold up the back, making sure that none of the children would stay from the pack.

"Hey! No pushing!" Alexis shouts, before shoving Berry aside, nearly causing him to tumble into another child.

"I didn't push you!" Berry shouts in response, before shoving the girl back, causing her to almost crash into the girls on her side.

And before they know it, the duo is pushing each other back and forth, nearly breaking up the line in the process!

"Guys!" Lincoln shouts in frustration, before getting between them, "Take it easy! We're all going to the same place!"

"She pushed me!" Berry complains, followed by Alexis arguing, "Because you pushed me!"

"Both of you, apologize!" Lincoln orders, "Neither of you should be pushing each other! You wanna make a good impression don't ya?!" The boy's body is enveloped with a cloud of stoic command as he stands over the duo.

And so begrudgingly the duo turns to each other and apologize, before returning to the line.

" _All right Lincoln, so far, so good."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Just keep things calm and everything's gonna turn out all right." And with that, the group heads off into the mall to begin the fundraiser.

 _ **Later…**_

"So how did you like the mall, Lisa?" Rita whispers to the resting three-year-old in her right arm, while she carries a bag filled with the formula she likes so much in the other.

Lisa hesitates her answer for a moment, before nestling herself in the crook of her mother's arm just a bit more and responding, "I am indifferent to it." Her voice fills with defeat, no doubt she secretly enjoyed leaving the confines of her room for the day.

"Heh." Rita chuckles, "Come on then Lisa, I'm sure there's something else we can-"

"Bake sale!" A little voice shouts, "Come over to the Royal Woods Orphanage Bake Sale please!" prompting Rita to turn towards the source… though Lisa immediately chooses to close her eyes and rest instead.

Just a few feet away stand the Shermans and their group of orphans. In front of them lies a small table with a small amount of pastries spread out for sale, no doubt they would be relying more on donations than the actual baked goods themselves. _"Huh, the orphanage is holding a bake sale today?"_

"Come support the Royal Woods Orphanage!" Lincoln shouts, trying desperately to grab the attention of nearby shoppers, but to no avail.

" _I wonder…"_ Rita thinks, before shaking Lisa ever so slightly, "Want one, sweetie?"

The toddler responds by just digging herself deeper into her mother's arm.

" _Of course."_ She chuckles, before approaching the shoddily-prepared stand, "Hi there!"

Mrs. Sherman turns towards her and smiles, "Why Rita, hello there!"

The woman looks at the few wares they were able to make for the sale for a moment, before looking at the woman with a curious gaze, "You're holding a bake sale today?"

The woman nods, "Yes, we just hold this after every adoption fair…" Her voice trails off painfully.

For a moment, Rita looks around, taking in the scene. She can see the children trying desperately to bring in the attention of the chaotic crowd, and the unsold merchandise resting upon the table. "Things don't seem to goin' so well…"

The woman sighs, "These never do, but we have to at least try to amend the deficit in our funds."

Rita raises an eyebrow, "I thought most of your funding came from the government or something?"

The woman looks away, almost as if trying to hide the shame she feels, "The only thing the government does to fund us is to give us a tax-exempt status. My husband and I still have to pay for the home." She then glances at the unsold cupcakes, "But… the past few years haven't been so good for us."

"What do you mean?" Rita asks, her curiosity building

"My husband and I use these fundraisers to help pay for new clothes for the children and to replace any equipment we need…" She sighs in defeat, while thinking, _"As much as I do not want him going out at night to get supplies, Lincoln's been forced to do so in order to amend what we cannot provide."_

"Well… is there anything we can do to help?" The woman asks, determination filling her body.

"I don't know…" The woman sighs, "I guess we just need some way to get some attention here…"

"Hmm." Rita rubs her chin, "Maybe my daughter Lisa can help you! She's great at getting people's attention!"

"While I appreciate the gesture, isn't your daughter too young to-" Mrs. Sherman starts, only for Lisa to cut her off.

"Ugh." She groans, "Mother? What is it?"

"Lisa, could you please help them out?" Rita asks. "They're having trouble grabbing people's attention and I'm sure some of your science is bound to help them!"

Lisa stirs for a moment, "Do I have to?"

"Please Lisa? If you do I'll get you more formula." Her mother's voice fills with a begging tone.

For a moment, the toddler considers denying the request and returning to her slumber, but more formula? Now that is an offer she cannot deny! And so, she tiredly pulls herself up and hops out of her mother's arms, "All right fine." Then, she begins going through

"Uhh, should I be concerned?" Mrs. Sherman asks.

Rita shakes her head in response. "Not at all, this is normal for her."

Lincoln meanwhile, turns towards Lisa and watches her for a moment, _"What's she doing?"_

Lisa promptly pulls out a small vial of red liquid from her sweater and a straw. "Ready?"

The children take note of the girl and crowd around her, eager to see what their new playmate has in store for them.

The toddler sticks the straw in the vial and blows for a few short moments, and eventually, the liquid turns red, signaling the reaction's completion.

"Ooo!" The children go in unison, no doubt intrigued by the reaction.

"You like this?" Lisa raises an eyebrow in confusion, "This is only a basic reaction with Phenol Red Solution…"

Lincoln speaks up, "This is the first time they've seen something like this… Lisa, right? Plus, this is pretty cool." He smiles intently, _"Liberty would've loved to see this… She was always gifted with science."_

For a moment, Lisa takes in his words. Normally when she wished to spend time with her siblings, she would have to do her best to ignore science. After all, her siblings had enough science when they did work in school! The mere idea of being surrounded by people that are interested with her… well she doesn't know how to respond.

Her hand trembles as she sticks her hand in her sweater again. Nervously, she pulls out a empty test tube and small brown rock, "Ok uhh…" She runs over to the nearby water fountain and fills the tube with water, before returning to the group, "All right stand back!"

The children comply and watch as Lisa drops the rock in the water.

Immediately, the rock and water react, causing the test tube's safety glass to shatter in a small explosion.

"Wow! That was awesome!" Berry shouts, flaring his arms in excitement, "It went boom!"

Though, Stacy can't help, but cling to Lincoln

" _That was… but it was dangerous too…"_ Lincoln thinks as he wraps his arm around the young girl, followed by, _"You should stop her. She's the smartest of all those sisters! You're nothing compared to her!"_

"Hey, a bake sale!" A voice calls out, before a man approaches the stand. He buys one of the pastries, before walking away.

Mrs. Sherman smiles, "It's working! Lisa please keep going!"

The three-year-old shrugs, "All right." Before she pulls a clear prism and a flashlight from her sweater.

"Ok, how do you keep all that stuff in there?!" Lincoln asks, confusion filling his voice.

Lisa shrugs, "Simple, I just use the laws of physics to do so." Then she aims the flashlight at the prism, dispersing the light into a simple rainbow. "Besides, just because I have a small extension of space-time under my sweater doesn't mean there's anything too complicated going on!"

"Ooo!" The children go in interest, while more people begin to notice the stand. And soon enough, with more experiments, the stand runs out of pastries to sell, and the bake sale is complete.

" _Yeah… but usually there's more to it than that…"_ For a moment, Lincoln simply watches, unsure what to make of the young girl's experiments. After all, this is the young girl that rebuked him just a few days prior.

Yet, as he thinks, a certain memory can't help, but come up and reveal itself.

* * *

"See Libby? That's what happens when you pour salt in water!" Lincoln shouts, before grabbing their mother's sugar bowl, "But if I try to put sugar..." he drops a cube into it, "Nothing happens!"

"Whoa Lincy!" Liberty leans in, "That's weird, do you know why it's not breaking up?"

The slightly older boy shakes his head, "No sadly."

Liberty rubs her chin for a moment, before taking the bottle from her brother, "Let me try something..." she then carefully turns on the hot water and allows some to flow into the cup.

A few moments pass with that, as the duo watches the cube disassociate, leaving behind a small cloud dispersing in the liquid.

"You, you did it Liberty!" Lincoln throws her arms around her sister in joy, and Liberty responds by throwing his arms around her as well. Yet, neither of them notice their mother standing nearby, an expression of worry filling her face.

 _ **Later...**_

After yet another long day spending time with his family, the young Lincoln tiredly shuffles along, on his way to return to his room. _"Ahh what a day. Heh, at least the bed's calling is nice."_

Yet, as he walks passed their kitchen, something catches his attention: his parents simply sitting at the dinner table, talking.

"I'm worried about Lincoln..." the boy hears his mother go.

" _She's talking about me?"_ His curiosity peaks, prompting him to turn and plant his back against the kitchen wall, hoping to hear the conversation better.

"Why's that dear?" His father answers, looking up from his newspaper as he does so.

"It's just... he doesn't seem to be doing well in school." His mother's voice fills with fear, "His teacher told me that he spends all class ignoring her and would rather try to come up with what those dolls do when they're not looking!"

"Come on, it's not that-" the man tries to counter.

"But Liberty... she tells me she's a model student... but she doesn't talk to people other than Lincoln..." The woman looks down, as if trying to fight the thoughts beginning to fill her mind.

The man returns to reading the paper, "Don't worry dear, this is just a phase for them. It always has been."

"I know, I know…" She takes a deep breath, "But… I'm worried they rely on each other too much…"

"Now dear, you and I both know that our children will be fine." The man speaks with a kind, understanding voice, "Just because Lincoln doesn't focus doesn't mean he won't succeed. After all, you as well as I know that everyone is different."

"Still, it worries me..." her voice trails off, "Today, Lincoln couldn't figure out that sugar dissolves in hot water..."

"They're still children, they're learning!" The man answers, disbelief filling his voice, "At their age I was still learning how to tie my shoes!"

"Liberty figured it out though, and Max and Alicen figured it out earlier than him!" The woman counters, a slight hint of annoyance filling his voice, "I just… feel like he's going to fail… or not even live up

" _No..."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath with that, before shaking his head, turning and walking away, choosing against listening to the conversation any longer. And so he walks away, uncertainty beginning to fill his body.

Yet, unbeknownst to him, his father notices his silent walk away.

* * *

This time, Lincoln is luckily enough to break free of his trance without someone having to snap him back to reality. Instead, him simply blinks back to his senses just in time to notice the seen in front of him.

"Wow, I can't believe it." Mrs. Sherman speaks with joy filling her voice, "It's been months since we were able to sell all of our product!" She turns towards the toddler, "Thank you Lisa!"

Though, the young girl doesn't answer, choosing instead to continue showing off to the young children, "All right, I just add food coloring here and here, place the paper…" She does so, then places the cups on top of each other, before removing the paper, "And ta-da! The water doesn't move!"

Rita smiles, "It's been a while since she's smiled like that."

"Really?" The old woman answers, "It is not good to stay cooped up in a room all day."

"I know…" The younger woman answers, "But… Lisa's different. She's not interested in what normal kids like."

"Heh, I don't think so." She responds, before motioning towards the group of children, "From the looks of it, she's quite content." She turns towards Rita, "How about you bring her over tomorrow, I'm sure there's plenty she can find in common with the orphans."

The Loud Woman hesitates for a moment, before taking a deep breath, "Mrs. Sherman, about coming over, I was wondering…"

"Oh, it's no issue is it?" Mrs. Sherman asks, her voice filling with disappointment.

"No, it's not that, I was just wondering if, well, I could volunteer to help you out?" Rita finishes, her voice filling with a begging hope. "I heard the orphanage is understaffed and well…"

For a moment, Mrs. Sherman considers denying her request, after all, she hasn't had the best of experiences with her volunteers, and neither have her children. Yet, she finds herself nodding, "Sure, though don't you have a rather large family to take care of already?"

Rita nods, "I know, but I'm sure they can manage for a bit." She then looks at her toddler daughter, "Plus, I think Lisa and Lola need to interact with more people their age."

"All right. Thank you for everything." Mrs. Sherman goes.

"And thank you too!" Rita responds.

And with that, Lisa and Rita head home for the day.

Lincoln meanwhile stands back and simply tries to collect his thoughts.

19-15-13-5-20-9-13-5-19 9-20 9-19 5-1-19-25 20-15 6-15-18-7-5-20 20-8-1-20 12-9-19-1 9-19 19-20-9-12-12 1 20-15-4-4-12-5-18 8-5-18-5

 **A/N Welp that took forever to write. I thank MrTyeDye for editing this chapter and Wolvenstrom for his help! Man I really need to get back into the swing of things. But hey, now that school's back in session, I can pace myself better! I hope you guys enjoyed! Unwavering Bonds will be updated next week.**

 **Also, I have a new story coming, yeah I know, I'm overworking myself. All I'll say though, is that it involves Lincoln and Bun Bun.**


	12. Finding A Pageant Queen

**A/N Wow, this is the first time in a long while that I'm actually posting on time! Awesome! Now all I gotta do is try to move onto weekly updates! Heh, no promises, but update speed for this story should increase since school gives me so much free time (And the game I got addicted to over the summer has finally stopped interesting me). Anyways, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Twelve: Finding A Pageant Queen

"First I gotta grab some of these…" Rita whispers as she shoves some random papers into the small, light-red bag she had decided to bring along with her. "Then I gotta make sure that they have these as well…" She follows up the previous item with a pack of new tooth brushes- removed from the box they had come in, in order to save what little space her backpack can provide.

"All right Rita…" Lynn Sr. calmly steps into the room, a small, metal tray resting in his arms, "The pasta's ready. Though if you wanna serve it, you're gonna have to add the meatballs and sauce yourself."

Rita smiles, "Thank you Lynn!" She points to an empty space on the table, "Just put it right there and I'll take it with me when I head out."

The man stands by for a moment, _"Why is she doing this?"_ Before he takes a deep breath and asks, "Rita… are you sure this is a good idea?"

Immediately, the blonde-haired woman stops in her tracks and turns to her husband, a concerned expression popping up on her face. "What do you mean, Lynn?"

Lynn Sr. places the tray filled to the brim with cooked pasta on the table in front of his way, "What I mean is, why are you volunteering at the Royal Woods Orphanage? The girls still need you and volunteering at an orphanage, well, it'll be like you're raising even more kids!" Though he can't help, but think, _"Maybe this has something to do with Lincoln…"_

For a moment, Rita remains silent, hesitating on her reasoning. Yet, eventually, she gives her husband a reassuring smile and places her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry dear, I'm only gonna be doing this, this one time as long as nothing changes." She then shoves one last bag in her backpack, before zippering it up and tossing it over her shoulder- securing it as she does so.

"I'm not sure Rita… ever since that boy came in, you've seemed to be more and more interested in what those orphans do." Lynn Sr. crosses his eyes and puts on a skeptical face for his wife. "Are you sure there's nothing you wanna talk about?"

" _No… there isn't…"_ Rita immediately thinks, though even she doesn't trust that idea. Yet, she still decides to shake her head, "No, everything's all right Lynn. I'm just doing this because I had a free day today and I believe that the girls can take care of themselves well enough."

" _I have to ask her about it, I have to…"_ The man takes a deep breath, "Rita… is this about Lincoln?"

" _Yes…"_ Rita's heart speeds up while her mind races for an answer, _"But… I don't want him to think…"_

"Rita, I know you care about him and those children." The man places a hand on her shoulder, "But we have ten kids already. If those orphans start to rely on you…" His voice trails off, though both adults know exactly what he's hinting at.

The woman puts on a reassuring smile and carefully moves the hand from her shoulder, "Don't worry Lynn, don't worry. I'm just doing this to help them today. It's just gonna be this one time, all right?"

Lynn's soft expression harshens into one of skepticism, yet after a short moment, he relents and sighs, "Fine… I think I get it…" he looks her in the eyes, "Have fun dear, I'm sure those orphans will enjoy having another volunteer around to help them."

"Thanks, Lynn." Rita smiles, before throwing her arms around her husband and kissing him, just as she had done countless times before. "And don't worry, I will. After all, we've been raising children for sixteen years now!"

And with that, Lynn Sr. nods, "All right then, I'll be doin' some coding work in our room if you need me. Just give a call." Then, he turns and walks into their shared room, though he can't help but think, _"She's going to tell me the truth when she gets back… no doubt about it, she will. It's better I don't push her right now."_

Rita watches as her husband disappears into the room, with him making sure to close the door behind him as he does so. With him out of sight, the woman sighs and turns back to the table. _"I'm doing this because the orphanage needs help… I'm doing this because the orphans need help…"_ She repeats, desperate to push away the image of the young boy that her daughters had been bringing over and visiting the past few days. _"Lincoln…"_

Though, luckily for her, a young girl tugging at her pant leg is more than enough to snap her out of her trance. "Huh?" She looks down, allowing her gaze to fall upon her second youngest daughter.

"Hello mother, I wish to accompany you as you volunteer at the Royal Woods Orphanage." Lisa tries to hide the excitement and nervousness filling her voice while she smiles in anticipation. She wears her typical green sweater and maroon pants, though now also wearing a small backpack- no doubt filled with whatever science experiments and materials would fit into it.

"Heh, so you wanna come with me?" Rita places her hands on her hips, before continuing with a fake-surprised tone, "My, my, I thought you had some important science projects to do and…" She looks from side to side, before leaning over and whispering, "Nice formula to drink."

Lisa looks down, blushes and taps her fingers together. "Well, I uhh… I finished everything I planned today."

Though, as much as she tries to play that excuse, Rita simply smiles, knowing that it's a lie.

The scientist continues, "And I… well, I rather enjoyed the attention I received from those children yesterday and I think I could show them more…" While she thinks, _"And… I think I might have made a friend…"_

Rita smiles, _"It's not much, but she's at least starting to open up to others."_ And so, she takes her second-youngest daughter in her arms, "All right then, I'll bring ya along!"

"Splendid!" Lisa excitedly answers, while mentally shouting for joy. _"I… I can go back and see them?!"_

"But no experimenting on the orphans, you and I both know how much you've been dying to get new test subjects." She then boosts the three-year-old up in one arm, thankful that she had put on her backpack before grabbing her daughter. Then, with her free arm, she grabs the pasta her husband made.

Lisa shrugs, "I was not planning on it."

Rita chuckles, "Good. Now then, time to go!"

It takes Lisa all of the willpower she can muster not to cry out in joy.

And with that, Rita steps out of the kitchen, and over to the front door… only for a certain young girl to shout, "Mom! Where are you going?!"

Rita turns back with a soft smile, "Oh, I was just gonna go and tend the orphans at the Royal Woods Orphanage."

Lola stares at her mother and younger sibling for a moment, trying to decide her next course of action. She tightens her hands at her sides, before standing up straight and whining, "But mom! You promised that you would take me to my beauty pageant today!"

"Oh, I did?" Rita raises an eyebrow in confusion, before glancing at Lisa, "Was there a beauty pageant on my schedule, Lisa?"

Lisa promptly brings her bag around and sticks her hand inside, pulling out a small calendar as she does so, "No mother… though there is supposed to be one scheduled for tomorrow… the Little Miss Cute And Cuddly one. "

"Oh? I didn't tell you about the one today?" Lola feigns surprise, "Today's the Little Miss Short And Stout Pageant!" Her eyes go wide in fake surprise, _"If she's going to the orphanage then… then she might come back with Lincoln! He…"_

Rita looks up in thought for a moment, "I can't take you to the pageant today…"

"But why not?!" Lola stomps her feet on the ground, while she throws her arms down at her sides.

"Because I promised Mrs. Sherman I'd help her out today." Rita stares at her daughter. "She's an old woman and she and her husband work to raise the orphans together. They need some help." The woman then takes another moment to think, "How about-"

Yet, Lola cuts her off, "No! I want you to-"

The woman stares at her daughter, before looking up in thought once more. "I know, how about instead, I take you with me to the orphanage then. I've heard great things from your sisters after spending some time with Lincoln."

"No! I'd never!" Lola turns around and crosses her arms, "I'd never-"

"If you don't go, then I won't take you to the pageant tomorrow."

The pageant queen grimaces, before looking down, though she doesn't break her harsh demeanor, "Fine, I'll go. Let me just go grab my things." She then steps forward and begins to climb the Loud House's steps.

"And if you're not down here in five minutes, I'll be coming to get ya!" Rita adds, no doubt to force Lola to hurry up. Once she's out of sight, the woman can't help but think, _"Huh, I wonder what's up with her… She never argues like that…"_ She looks at her three-year-old daughter, the young one now drinking her favorite formula out of a bottle she had packed in her bigger-on-the-inside bag, no doubt alongside whatever gadgets and gizmos she is going to use to astound the orphans.

And after a few minutes of waiting, Lola returns, still wearing her pageant gown, and the trio heads into the car, before driving off to the orphanage.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"That was a nice story, Lincy!" Stacy leans in close to the young boy, while the other orphans add, "Yeah!" Before a boy shouts, "Tell another!"

 _"As long as these guys are happy, I'll be happy."_ Lincoln thinks, shutting the small notebook closed as he does so, before the voice speaks up, " _Yeah you belong here. Your sister was great and had good prospects, but these children need you more._ "

"Yeah!" Berry flares his arms in excitement, "Tell another!"

While Alice shouts has well. And within moments, the entire group of children is cheering, trying to get Lincoln to continue telling stories.

Yet, the young boy motions for them to relax, "Calm down guys, calm down." He sit up straight and places the notebook securely in his lap, before I go on, I wanna tell you guys something."

Lincoln looks up at Cristina and the exhausted Chandler, prompting the young girl to nod, confirming what Lincoln already knows, "All right." He takes a deep breath, "Today, we're getting a new volunteer."

Unlike cheerful response one would expect from the children, they remain silent, as if disappointed by the news.

Lincoln, of course, wastes no time reacting to their silence, "Hey guys, chin up! I have a good feeling about this one!"

Orion simply looks away, "That's what you said about the last one... and the one before that."

The white-haired boy takes a deep breath as he looks over the small group of orphans. None of them are smiling, and Lincoln doesn't blame them. He takes a deep breath, _"The last time we had a volunteer, he came, got his hours and left. The time before that, I swear I think they actually stole some stuff from us..."_ and so he continues, "Hey guys, chin up!"

"Why?" Barry crosses his arms in frustration, "Every time someone comes over, they end up taking and not even bothering to do anything with us!"

"Yeah!" The rest the group goes in unison.

Yet, undeterred, Lincoln responds, "Don't worry, she's the mo-" He stops himself, silently kicking himself for almost mentioning a sensitive topic to some of the children, "She's related to the girls that have been coming over lately."

"Oh…" One of the girls goes in disappointment. "But will the other girls come over again? They were really nice!"

Lincoln sighs, before looking her in the eyes, "From what I've seen, I'm sure they'll come back." Though even he can't help but think, _"The kids have gotten used to visitors never coming back…"_

"Wincoln…" Stacy tugs at the young boy's hand. "Are they gwonna twake you away?"

The boy hesitates for a moment, before shaking his head, "No Stacy, I don't think they will." The children, however, remain uncertain.

"Are they gonna leave us like the others?" Berry worriedly asks. "Or take some from us?"

" _Probably… once she's done with this and goes back to caring for her own family…"_ Lincoln rubs his head, "Don't worry Berry, everything's gonna be all right guys, so please, go play and I'll call you down when she comes, all right?"

The children nod in agreement, before going, "Ok." In unison, followed by them breaking off the play whatever random games they can come up with, leaving the young boy alone in what he had dubbed the "Story Telling Chair".

Lincoln then takes a deep breath, _"Please Mrs. Loud… Please be different."_ He watches the children for a moment, their nervous, yet joyful expressions are almost enough to trick him in to believing that their lives were perfect, devoid of the strife that he and the others had had to undertake.

Yet even Lincoln knows that there's more to them then simple looks would suggest, _"Just keep things calm. These orphans are my family."_

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"All right girls, behave now, these kids haven't really gotten any other visitors aside from prospective parents and your sisters." Rita declares as Lisa rings he bell for both her mother and sister- as the woman's hands are full.

A few moments pass with that, before the old director opens up. "Oh Rita, you came!" She goes in excitement, while off-handedly thinking, _"Very few volunteers choose to actually stick around…"_ She then steps aside, "Please, come in, come in, I have had Lincoln talk to the children about your arrival."

Lisa hops down from her mother's arm, before stepping forward, "Hello Mrs.… Sherman I believe, I have come to demonstrate the rather fascinating phenomena that one can produce whike working with physical science. Is it all right that I approach the children?"

"Of course, the children love getting visitors!" Mrs. Sherman answers, rubbing the young girl's head as she does so, "Just make sure not to expose any of them to high levels of radiation.

Yet, Rita quickly nudges Lisa, "Hold on, mommy has to talk to the orphanage director!" She then looks back at the old woman, "Sorry about that, is it all right that I brought my kids with me?" Her voice fills with worry.

"Of course! Just as long as they behave themselves. I'm worried Lincoln has had too much on his mind lately and may struggle to keep up with the workload he has set up for himself." The old woman hastily answers, relief filling her voice.

Rita nods, "All right." She then taps her daughters' backs, "Ok girls, feel free to play with the orphans while I help Mrs. Sherman."

"But Mom!" Lola complains, "What can I do with these kids?!"

Mrs. Sherman stares at her for a moment, as if taking in her rather annoying demeanor, before shaking her head, "Why young one, just because they're orphans doesn't mean that they do not like dressing up much like yourself."

For a moment, Lola considers arguing with Mrs. Sherman's logic, after all, to Lola, these orphans- especially Lincoln- are nothing more than a nuisance that hasn't been handled. Yet, with a scoff, she flips her hair at the old woman and walks towards the backdoor, "Fine."

"Is she a tough one?" Mrs. Sherman waits until the young girl is out if earshot before asking.

Rita sighs in defeat, "Yes. I've tried my best to discipline her, but nothing ever seems to work!"

Yet, the old woman simply pats the younger woman on the back, "Don't worry about it, I understand. After all, from what I've heard from Lincoln, you're doing a great job raising ten children!"

"Yeah…" She answers, though she can't help but think, _"But Lola… she's always been the problem child…"_

Rita then takes a deep breath, before following Mrs. Sherman into the kitchen, bringing the pasta along with her.

" _This is just a waste of my time."_ Lola frowns as she steps into the orphanage backyard. On a typical day, one would find the young children partaking in whatever random games they could come up with. Yet, when the young girl steps into the yard, she instead finds the group of orphans huddled around her younger sister, mesmerized by her scientific demonstration. _"And just great, Lisa's gonna be making sure that none of them even notice me!"_

"Ok…" Lisa drops her backpack and begins to rummage through. "What would you all like to see first?"

"Uhh, how about something that goes boom?!" Berry flares her arms in excitement.

"Nah!" Alexis cuts in, "How about you show us how to make instant brownies instead?!"

Lisa rubs her chin, "Hmm, how about the brownies first?"

The orphans chatter amongst themselves for a moment, before Stacy steps forward, still clutching her small rabbit doll, "I think we should do the brownies first."

For a moment, the young scientist thinks, before shrugging, "Very well then." And so, she begins digging through her backpack, eventually deciding to pull out a small tray with markings that would dictate how the brownies would be shaped, "All right, this is where we shall create our sweet treat!"

The young Alex takes the tray in his hands.

The young scientist then pulls out two small vials and turns to the young boy, "Do not worry now. This reaction is completely safe." She then leans over and begins to pour, "All we have to do is add some Titanium Nitrate and just a tad of Chlorified Tartrate and…"

A moment passes, before the batter already present in the pan begins to heat up, causing an entire batch of brownies to poof up before their very eyes. "And that is how you make oven-less brownies!" Lisa takes the pan in her arms and raises up, eager to show off her work.

Lincoln can't help but chuckle at the… rather adorable sight of a three-year-old eagerly holding up a tray filled to the brim with brownies she had made, _"Heh, maybe this girl isn't as dangerous as I thought she was…_ "

"That's pretty cool, are those safe to eat?" Lincoln chuckles and raises an eyebrow out of curiosity.

Lisa waves him off, "Of course!" She then grabs a slice and shove it in her mouth, "These are real brownies after all!"

The orphans look at each other for a quick moment, before all reaching in and grabbing a slice. And before she knows it, Lisa's holding up an empty tray, with the orphans munching on the delicious snack.

" _Heh, the only times these guys are able to eat brownies are when Mrs. Sherman decides there's enough in the budget to get some or when I steal them from people..."_ he takes his own slice and swallows it in one bite. And for a moment, his taste buds light up, taking in the succulent taste that the sweet has to offer.

"That was amazing!" Lincoln shouts, before running his hand through Lisa's hair, that was great Lisa!"

Lisa smiles in pride, "Thank you, Lincoln. But I've still got more to show you!"

The white-haired boy raises an eyebrow, "Oh?"

The scientist excitedly digs through her bag with that. A few moments of searching later, and she pulls out a small Potawatomi and a few wires, "Watch as I use the potato to power this voice synthesizer!"

 _"Heh this is gonna be funny."_ Lincoln smiles.

"All right, just add some electrodes to it… and voilà!" The young girl tinkers with the device for a moment, before raising it up once more. Not the vegetable has two electrodes sticking out of its sides, as well as a holding light between them.

"Help me, I am in immense pain." The potato goes, "I literally do not have enough power to lie, please help me. Wubba Lubba Dub Dub."

Lisa's eyes go wide in shock for a moment, before she quickly disassembles the device and sheepishly hides it behind her back, "Please disregard what the potato just said. Your plants feel no pain."

Lincoln can't help but chuckle in response. "Good job Lisa.

 _The young girl can't help, but laugh at what had just occurred. "Ha Ha! That was amusing!"_

 _And the orphans laugh in agreement._

 _A few feet away, however, the young Lola remains steadfast, with her fists held firmly at her sides, "Ugh, why are they so interested by her stupid science?!"_ She angrily thinks, _"They should all be watching me! I'm the interesting one around here!"_

"Hey, who are you?" A young boy, just a little older than the young blonde asks, as he approaches the young girl.

" _Bout time."_ Lola immediately thinks, before motioning towards herself, "I am Lola Loud, the prettiest and most talented of the Loud Sisters."

The boy rubs his chin for a moment, "I don't think so."

Lola let out a breath in disbelief, "What?!" She then quickly regains her composure, though making sure to maintain her creepy tick."

"Yeah, I thought Lana was the prettier one, she looked nice in her overalls… plus she did a great job fixing the bathroom!" The boy rubs his chin.

She twitches her eye in response, though the young boy doesn't notice, "Oh, ok!"

"And what's that sparkly towel you're wearing? You know it's gonna get dirty if you wear it out here." The young boy continues, motioning towards her gown, "You should change into something more... plain."

With her anger building, Lola throws her arms down at her sides, "No one tells Lola Loud what she can and cannot do!"

"Not even big brother Lincoln?" The boy tilts his head in confusion.

Lincoln responds by glancing over, focusing his attention upon the duo. Though, he doesn't say a word, hoping that they would sort themselves out and thankful that the other orphans are too enthralled by Lisa's demonstration to notice.

"Lincoln? Who cares!" Lola shakes her head, and raises her finger at the young boy, "He's not the boss of me!"

"Oh… well ok then…" The boy trails off, raising her hands defensively as he does so, though he chooses to continue, "So uhh… what's with the weird towel you're wearing? It's really long is glittery."

"You know not of culture." Lola leans back and shakes her head again, before proudly motioning towards herself once more, "I am a pageant queen and as such I demand to be treated with the respect of one."

The young boy relaxes and tilts his head in confusion, "Pageant queen? What's that?"

"It means I'm prettier than you!" She scoffs at him, "And I'm so better than you at everything."

Yet, as if forgetting the outburst the young girl had had just a moment prior, the boy snatches her tiara and holds it in his hands, "Oh, ok… so if I put this on, will it make me better at everything too?"

Fire fills Lola's eyes with that, as she jumps up and pounces upon the young boy, the orphan not expecting the girl's assault. "No one touches my tiara!" She shouts, as she unleashes a barrage of punches, forcing the boy to block in a futile attempt to protect herself.

Yet, before anything further can happen, Lincoln intervenes, grabbing both the girl and the young boy by the collars of heir clothes. He holds them apart, making sure that they are out all out of punching and kicking range. "That's enough! Lola and Maurice, to the corner, now!" His voice fills with a commanding strength, "I want you both to think about what you've done.

"You're not the boss of me!" Lola flails in his arm, while Maurice simply nods in compliance, allowing Lincoln to put him down. Then, without a word, he walks over to a nearby corner and faces the wall.

 _"Good, he's handled. Now for Miss Annoying."_ Lincoln then turns and stares at the five-year-old, the girl continuing to flail about in his arms, "Let go of me!"

"No." Lincoln flatly responds, "Now, are we gonna have to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

" _Calm down Lola, you've had to deal with this before. It's easy to get passed him. Just gotta go queen of cute and…"_ Lola blinks twice, before holding her hands together and doing her best to present herself as adorable. "Come on, you don't wanna put me in the corner do you?"

Lincoln remains unfazed, "Lola, this is the last time I'm gonna ask you, before I put you in the corner myself." His voice goes low, "I am not going to have you act as a bad influence on these children." He leans in close to the young girl as he places her on the ground, making sure to tower above her, "Around here, a bad attitude doesn't get you adopted. And as much as these children are my family, I still want to see them get taken away from this place and put into a better home, and I am not going to let you put that in danger because you can't control yourself."

Lola remains speechless. A strong, commanding air immediately overtakes the duo. Back home, when mom and dad got angry, they would scream, yell, do their best to overcome the noise her sisters would make. Then, by the town they did so, the impact would be gone, leaving whatever punishment they would deal out as weak compared to the effort.

And yet, Lincoln's punishment was simple. "Just stand in the corner and I'll let you come back and watch your sister. Don't, and I'll make sure that you go home at this very moment." He then points at the unoccupied corner across from Maurice.

This is the first time in her few years that someone stood up to her behavior, let alone calls her for just how toxic it is. Not only that however, said person did not just do so calmly, but remains immune to her cute methods of dodging her punishments. The mere idea that someone like this exists is enough to scare her and now that she is staring down someone who is, well, it terrifies her.

"So what's your choice?" Lincoln crosses his arms in a final show of dominance.

Slowly, Lola turns around and shrugs over to the nearby corner to carrying out the terms of her punishment.

Lincoln simply nods, before turning back to the group of children, all of them now staring at him. "So, where were we kids?" He nonchalantly asks, trying to break the harsh air that had formed around him.

Lisa remains silent for a moment stunned by the display that had occurred before her very eyes, "You… you disciplined Lola?!"

The young boy raises an eyebrow, "Yeah? What about it?"

"No… no one has ever done that before." Lisa continues, her characteristic lisp dies for just a moment, and is replaced by a stunned expression.

"Yeah, that's normal." Lincoln shrugs, "'round here, as much as we don't mention it, I gotta keep order. After all, we're a family and families gotta take care of each other." He then motions towards the three-year-old, "Now, how about you keep going? Aren't you gonna show us a reaction involving fluoro-Antimonic Acid."

Lisa nods, "Ye-yes!" Before she pulls out a vial and begins the demonstration. Though, even she can't help but think, _"Maybe, just maybe, he is what this family is missing..."_ The young girl then hesitates for a moment and shakes her head, "You know what, how about we do something you guys like?" Lisa quickly re-corks the vials, "After all, I do stuff like this all day, I wanna see what you guys do for fun!"

The orphans turn to each other for a moment, before smiling.

"Ok!" Berry shouts, grabbing the three-year-old's arm as he does so, "Tag! You're it!"

Then he quickly lets go, causing the rest of the orphans to bolt off in random directions.

Lisa quickly adjusts her glasses and turns to the white-haired boy, "Will you be joining us?"

Lincoln snaps back to reality for a moment, "Huh? No, you go have fun, I'll just make sure everything's safe."

"Very well." Lisa can't help, but crack a smile as she runs off in a random direction, hoping to tag one of the slower children.

As she does so, Lincoln lets his mind drift off, allowing more repressed memories to make themselves known.

* * *

"Good job class!" The young teacher declares, joy filling her voice. "I've finished grading your worksheets and from what I've seen, most of you did extremely well! Your mothers and fathers are going to be proud of you!" She glances at the room for a moment, taking a moment to enjoy the over-excited expressions her young students are giving her, before she stands up with her stack of papers in hand.

Within seconds, she begins to hand out the tests, whispering words of encouragement along the way, "You did great!" and, "You've got potential!"

"What do you think you got?" Liberty cheerfully motions towards herself, "I think I did well!"

" _I don't know…"_ Lincoln hesitates his answer, though he chooses to smile at his sister, "I think I did all right…" Though he can't help, but let his voice trail off in disappointment.

Liberty considers prodding her brother about it, though the teacher walking over cuts her train of thought off.

"Great job Liberty!" She goes, handing the girl her open worksheet as she does so, allowing her perfect grade to become visible to the entirety of the table, though only for a short moment

The teacher continues by handing Lincoln his test as well, albeit she curls it up, concealing what she had written from all present, while her expression fills with disappointment. Now, most teachers would choose to berate their students over poor performance. But by this time of the year, something like this was so common for the young child, it warrants no response.

"Well I did great Lincoln!" Liberty declares, as she turns toward her twin and holds up her blemish-free worksheet. Written at the top in red ink is a small "A+" with the words, "Great Job!" written next to them. In excitement, the young girl pushes her arms forward, no doubt to prod her brother to act, "What'd you get Lincy?"

For a moment, the young boy hesitates, completely aware of what their teacher means when she hands a paper over like she had.

"Come on Linc! You did fine, I'm sure of it!" Liberty prods.

" _No I didn't."_ Lincoln sighs and relents, unfurling his test as he does so. Unlike his twin's exam, his paper is covered in red ink, with most of the marks over the numbers of the questions he had failed to answer correctly while a rather small one at the top graded his test as a "D-" with the words "See me." Written next to them.

"Oh…" the young girl's voice goes low for a second, "Oh well!" She quickly perks up once more, before waving him off, "I'm sure you'll do better next time!"

" _Yeah… that's what you said last time… and the time before that…"_ Lincoln immediately thinks, before taking a deep breath, "Whatever…"

"All right children, you're dismissed!" The teacher declares, causing the group of four and five-year-olds to gather up their belongs as fast as children can muster before bolting out the door, leaving no one, but Lincoln and Liberty behind, to talk to the teacher.

The woman stands up and takes a deep breath, putting on an expression of concern as she does so. "Liberty, you're dismissed as well, please wait outside."

"But-" Liberty tries to start, "Lincoln's-"

"I am well aware that you are close, but this is something your brother needs to do alone." She speaks in a soothing voice, eliciting a small nod from the young girl, prompting her to trudge out of the room to meet up with their father.

Lincoln remains silent as he watches her go.

Their teacher then takes another breath, "Lincoln… What's going on with you?"

"I… I don't know…" The boy quietly responds.

The teacher holds her head in annoyance, "Lincoln, you gotta pay attention in class more. You can't just keep think about stories every time I'm trying to teach you."

"I'm sorry…" The young boy whispers, unsure of how to counter the woman.

"Don't tell that to me." She sighs, "You need to do better or else you'll never get anywhere." She then takes the test from him, "You're the only one who did this poorly on this test." She forces herself to remain calm, "If your grades don't improve by the end of the year, then I'll be forced to hold you back." She looks the young boy in the eyes, "Do you want that?"

Lincoln shakes his head in both disappointment and fear. _"I don't… wanna be left behind…"_

"I'm going to talk to your parents about this, ok?" The woman continues, "They need to know what's going on with you…" She then takes a knee, bringing her down to the boy's height, "Is everything going fine at home?"

The young boy nods, "Yeah…"

"Very well." The woman then stands up and walks over to her desk, "That is all, you are dismissed."

" _I'm…"_ Lincoln stands up from the small table that allows the teacher to create groups of children to work with, before he steps out of the room, allowing him to join his waiting sister and father.

"Another talk with the teacher?" His father wastes no time asking.

He nods in response.

Unfazed by the revelation, his father places a soft, reassuring hand on his back, "Don't worry about it, son. Don't worry."

"But I… failed my test…" The white-haired boy's voice trails off.

Yet, the man simply smiles, "It's just one test. Now, come on."

"I passed, daddy!" Liberty cuts in, raising her test paper to the man.

Their father smiles and rubs his daughter's head, "Heh, great Liberty, you're so good at this!"

Lincoln simply pouts in response, before trio heads off, on their way home.

 _ **Later…**_

"Mommy, mommy!" Liberty shouts as she cheerfully skips into the kitchen, clutching the paper containing her test, "Look at what I got on my test today!" She then holds it up to her mother, who promptly takes it from her.

"Oh my." The woman smiles, "I'm so proud of you, Liberty!" She then looks around for a moment, "Where's your brother?"

"He's on his way." Liberty nonchalantly answers, "He… didn't do so well."

Lincoln follows a few moments later, by simply shuffling into the room, unsure if he should even show his mother what he had received, yet after a quick glance from the woman, he sighs and hands it over.

His mother stares at the grade for a moment, before sighing in disappointment.

"Don't worry mom! Lincoln's just an old dummy-dum." She chuckles, playfully punching his arm as she does so."

"I'm not a dummy…" Lincoln mutters, though his sister can't help but taunt, "Yeah, yeah! Yeah, but your grades say-"

"I'm not good at math!" The boy cuts her off, "Every time I try they always end up putting me to sleep!"

Yet, his sister doesn't flinch, choosing instead to poke his arm playfully, "Oh yeah? That's what you said about everything but reading and writing! Maybe you-"

"Liberty, that's enough!" Their mother cuts her off, "Stop teasing your brother!"

Yet, the young girl simply motions towards him, "But mom, Lincoln only barely passed while I got perfect!"

"Young lady, if you continue teasing your brother, I will punish you." Their mother continues, her voice beginning to lower.

"But-" Liberty tries to argue, though is immediately stopped by her mother's fierce gaze.

Liberty nods, before turning around and walking away. "Sorry Lincoln…"

"M-mom?" Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity.

"Run along now." She calmly answers, before returning to chopping the vegetables. Though she can't help but mutter, "Sometimes… I wish he were like his siblings…"

Lincoln looks down in shame, before shuffling off, shame filling his body.

* * *

 _ **A Few Hours Later...**_

" _I wonder what's going on…"_ Rita quickly checks the orphan's bedrooms, for any sign of something needing fixing or help, yet much to her surprise, finds the rooms left in rather tidy condition. And so, with a soft sigh, she walks over to a nearby window and gazes out, allowing her to take in the scene taking place in the backyard.

Her eyes suddenly go wide, while surprise begins to fill her body. From her second-story perch she can see Lisa, her genius, shut-in, three-year-old daughter playing a game with the young orphans, while her prideful five-year-old stands by in the corner, no doubt placed their as a punishment.

"What the… h-how?!" Rita slams her arms against the old windowsill in confusion.

"Ahh, there you are, Rita!" Mrs. Sherman cheerfully declares, before walking into the bedroom alongside the woman.

Immediately, the blonde-haired woman snaps at of her surprise and turns to the old woman, "Oh, hi Mrs. Sherman. I was just checking the rooms, but when I found that they were already clean I-"

"You need not say more." The old woman cuts her off, "Lincoln and his sister made sure to discipline these children to the best of their abilities. After all, it's easier for children that can control themselves to get adopted than those that are wild and unrestrained."

"So he makes them clean their rooms?" Rita tilts her head in curiosity.

"Precisely." Mrs. Sherman then walks over to the window and glances outside as well, "I see you were watching the children."

Rita nods, "Yeah, after I saw there was no work up here, I got curious and wanted to see how my daughters were doing with your children…"

For a moment, the young woman remains silent, carefully watching the young children her volunteer had brought in. The younger of the duo- and from what she can remember, the genius child as well- is playing around, now running from a the child she no doubt managed to tag, while the annoying one remains silent, choosing instead to stare at a wall.

"It seems as though your daughters have decided to act differently here." The woman smiles, "That is rather interesting, do you not believe so?"

"I don't know…" Rita's voice trails off, while she looks at the floor in thought, _"Maybe… just maybe Lynn was right about Lincoln…"_

"Do not worry, if you fear something unfortunate has happened to your daughters, that is not the case." The old woman steps over to the door and motions for the woman to follow, "Most likely it was Lincoln doing his best to maintain peace and control around here. Now come along, we have to call the children in to eat."

Rita nods, "All right…" Before she follows the old woman. And within a few minutes, Mrs. Sherman sticks her head out the back door and shouts, "Come on in kids! Dinner's ready! That goes for you too Lisa and Lola!" while Rita heads into the kitchen to finish up the remaining touches on their food.

Immediately, the children stop what they're doing and rush for the door, snapping Lincoln out his trance, "Huh?" It takes him a moment to realize what's going on, but when he does, he wastes no time hopping to his feet and following the group of children into the orphanage, with Cristina and Chandler leading the way.

The moment the orphans take their seats in the dining room, Lincoln rushes into the kitchen, _"Just remember Lincoln, you do this every night."_ He then approaches the young blonde working in front of the stove, "Hi Mrs. Loud, how can I help you?"

Rita turns to the young boy in surprise, "Huh? Well uhh… what do you usually do?"

Lincoln maintains his calm composure, "Usually, I set the table while Mrs. Sherman prepares and servers the food."

The woman thinks for a moment, _"Then it's not a good idea to tell him not to… especially from what I've seen so far."_ She then nods, "Then do what you normally do. I'll server dinner, all right?"

The young boy nods, before quickly grabbing the plates and rushing to set the table for the young children, who chatter amongst themselves while they wait.

"I must admit, that was a fun game." Lisa quips, adjusting her glasses and maintaining a smile as she does so.

"Yeah!" Alex chuckles, "Though, I don't get why you kept trying to chase me! I'm one of the fastest boys around here!"

"I am a woman of science!" Lisa immediately answers with a smile, "That means that I enjoy a challenge."

Alexis responds by poking her cheeks, "Heh, you're so cute for a three-year-old!"

"And so smart too!" Berry continues, looking up as he does so, "You almost remind me of Liberty…"

"Who?" Lisa raises an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh, Big Sister Libby! She was so smart!" Maurice speaks up, "She was Lincoln's sister, but she disappeared a few days ago…"

For a moment, the three-year-old thinks, _"Hmm, orphans, and Lincoln is one of them. He had a sister, whom these children know, but she disappeared…"_ She then rubs her chin and asks, "What happened to her?"

Stacy speaks in a whispers, "Lincy told us that she was going to be gone on a long trip…"

" _She was adopted…"_ Now, as much as Lisa wishes that she were completely devoid of emotion and empathy, even she can't help, but feel for the young boy whom had easily held Lola at bay, nor can she find it in herself to tell them the truth, especially if their caretaker had decided against telling them the truth.

And so Lisa calmly adjusts her stance, "Very well, I believe she is in a better place."

"Heh, we know." Alexis smiles, "I just wish she'd come back already…"

" _Now what am I gonna tell them?"_ Lisa hesitates for a moment, though luckily for her, Lincoln is able to rush in- plates, utensils and drinking cups in hand and within moments set the table. And not a moment too soon, as when he takes his seat, Rita walks in carrying a tray filled with pasta- now with sauce and meatballs added.

"Dinner's served!" The woman cheerfully declares, before placing the tray in the middle of the table in front of Lincoln, before taking a seat next to her daughters.

"Say thank you to Ms. Loud everyone." Lincoln commands, before he stands up, serving spoon in hand.

"Thank you, Mrs. Loud." The orphans go in unison, while Lincoln begins to scoop spoonfuls of the spaghetti, filling each plate with an equal amount, before passing it to Chandler and Cristina- the latter two proceeding to pass it to the next children. A few moments of this pass, before everyone has a plateful of Lynn Sr. and Rita's spaghetti and meatballs.

"All right everyone, eat up!" Mrs. Sherman commands, prompting the orphans and Louds to begin eating their meal.

All goes well after that, with only an uncharacteristic silence around the three Loud Girls.

" _Why's Lola so quiet?"_ Rita thinks as she takes in her daughter's rather quiet demeanor. She thinks for a moment, before the realization hits her, _"She must be afraid of Lincoln… maybe that's why she was standing in the corner earlier…"_

"Don't worry, mother." Lisa whispers, before taking another bite of the meal., "Lola is just quiet because Lincoln was able to ignore her attempts to control or attempt to play innocent after assaulting one of the orphans, and successfully disciplined her."

For a moment, Rita hesitates, before chuckling, _"I guess I've been in such a Loud House so long, that I forgot being quiet is more powerful than yelling."_

 _ **Later…**_

"All right children!" Mrs. Sherman shouts, "Say goodbye to Mrs. Loud and her children!"

"Goodbye Mrs. Loud." The children go in unison.

"Farewell young ones." Lisa responds, a soft, joy-filled smile upon her face, "I promise that I shall show more science the next time I come by!"

Rita, meanwhile, smiles in relief, _"Maybe Lincoln has more to him than we all thought…"_

Lola, however, remains silent, frowning as she does so. It is almost as if she is traumatized from the mere fact that Lincoln is immune from her abilities. _"I… I can't control him."_ She thinks, _"I… what would happen if… if he came to live with us?"_

Lincoln steps forward and snaps his fingers in front of Lola, bringing the girl back to reality.

She cowers for a moment, "Wh-what?"

"Lola." He takes a knee in front of her, "You're a good girl. But when you realize that you're not perfect, that's when you'll be able to get better."

Her mother remains silent, unsure of what to say about Lincoln's words. So instead, Rita simply smiles, takes her daughter's hands in her own.

"Head up now." Mrs. Sherman commands, "It is getting late and I would like to have one final word with Mrs. Loud before she leaves.

The white-haired boy wastes no time leading the orphans upstairs, leaving the quartet alone to talk.

"So… what's up?" Rita tilts her head.

"Thank you for coming by and volunteering." The older woman smiles, "And thank you for sending your daughters over here as well. Things have been becoming better ever since they began visiting."

"No, it's no issue at all." Rita smiles.

"If you ever see fit, you're free to volunteer again." Mrs. Sherman continues, "Though, I don't believe tomorrow will be a good idea. According to the news, it is going to be hot tomorrow…" She sighs, and mutters "It would be perfect for a beach day…"

" _I should… no, I can't…"_ Rita smiles, "Thank you for allowing me to volunteer."

"It was no problem." Mrs. Sherman smiles, "Get home safe, now."

And with that, the Louds turn and head home.

23-8-15-1, 20-8-5 4-5-22-9-12 6-5-1-18-19 20-8-5 23-8-9-20-5 8-1-9-18-5-4 15-18-16-8-1-14. 13-1-11-5 15-6 20-8-1-20 23-8-1-20 25-15-21 23-9-12-12.

 **A/N Man, it feels good to be back in the saddle! I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, feel free to review and send in ideas! I thank Wolvenstrom and Sunblast-X for helping me out!**

 **Also, I got this question and I really wanted to answer it: "Why don't you have it so one of the Loud Girls is also adopted?" Simply put, it's because it would invalidate a major conflict within the story. Mainly, they don't know how to take care of a foster child and that he would need more attention/help than their others.**

 **Guest Replies (C11):**

 **Guest:** **Don't worry mate. Lynn and Lucy having a crush on Lincoln isn't incest here. Remember, in this story, they're not related. Besides, I write fics that poke fun at Loudcest, while being self-aware about it. And thanks for the compliment! I try to be as original as I can when writing these stories!**


	13. Finding A Mother

**A/N Hey guys and welcome to part 2 of my triple update weekend! Wow, this chapter is huge! And that's no accident! I've got great news at the end of this chapter! Anyways, onto the fic!**

 **As Always, R &R!**

Chapter Thirteen: Finding A Mother

"So how was your day, everyone?" Lynn Sr. leans back in his chair, his weary expression breathing of the work he had completed this day. After all, IT work isn't as easy as some would expect it to be.

Lori is the first to speak up, choosing to look up from her phone; "I literally spent the whole day with Bobby!" She holds her hands together, allowing her eyes to go wide with desire, "I know we just met, but it's like we're literally meant to be!"

" _I'm going to have to meet this young man before Lori goes any further with him."_ Lynn Sr. takes a bite of the meal he had made- a simple dish of spaghetti and meatballs, before he continues, "Interesting, and what about the rest of you girls?"

And for the next few moments, the young Loud Girls goes through what they had done, Leni was able to finally get another piece of her toddler puzzle in place, Luan came up with a ton of new material- which her father of course, laughs at- Lynn and Lucy talk about their new works, while Lana mentions the repairs and upgrades she made to the bathroom.

Luna, however, remains silent, still trying to uncover what a certain young boy is hiding. Her lack of answer leaves a certain three people remaining.

"So, how'd you enjoy volunteering at the orphanage?" Lynn Sr. tries to remain nonchalant, though he can't help but fight the gnawing feeling building up in the base of his chest.

Rita takes up a spoonful of the dinner he had cook, "I loved it dear. Those children had a lot of fun with me around." Though, even she can't help but think, _"And Lincoln seems to be better at running things around there than I thought…_ "

As full as they are, Rita can't find it in her heart to tell Lynn no, hence why they're still eating despite having a meal at the orphanage just and hour prior.

"I see." Lynn Sr. responds, while his daughters remain silent, eager to hear of their sister's time with a certain white-haired boy. "And what about you two?" The man looks towards two of his younger daughters, the younger of the two smiles, for a quick moment, before answering, "I must say, I rather… enjoyed spending some time at the orphanage."

Quickly, the young girl recomposes herself; desperate to maintain the illusion of control she had set for herself. Though, as much as she tries to hide it, the girls and her mother smile, though her father maintains a look of concern.

"You really enjoyed it, huh?" The man goes, fear filling his voice.

"Why yes, yes I did." Lisa responds, "I even used a highly exergonic reaction to catalyze the polymerization of Theobroma Cacao and Colostrum in order to produce a delicious snack."

The table goes silent, unsure of just how to react to the news.

Lisa quickly shakes her head in frustration and face palms, "I used science to make brownies instantly, without a heat source."

"You can do that?!" Lana hops to her feet, while Lori leans over her toddler sister, "Why didn't you tell us?!"

Lynn immediately grabs her shirt, "You know how much we love chocolate!"

" _If I do not lie about the ease of this process, then my sisters will go to unknown lengths in order to create an infinite supply. And I am not in the mood to put brownie makers out of business… or spend grant money on candy."_ The young scientist immediately holds her hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry sisters, but I am unable to do so consistently! I apologize, but I just can't! The resources for which are extremely expensive and would make just buying the ingredients more cost-effective."

Lynn stares into the young girl's eyes for a moment, before letting go, allowing her to slump back in her seat. "Ugh fine!"

"As I was saying." The scientist quickly shakes herself back to her senses, "I rather enjoyed my time at the orphanage." She blushes, "I was even able to play tag with some of the young boys and girls there… it was quite… fun"

For a moment, the Louds remain silent, unsure of just how to respond to the news. Now, it isn't strange to hear Lisa mentioning whom she had talked to of course- she is only human- but the mere idea that Lisa, the shut-in scientist, had played a game with children her own age and had fun with it, now that's unbelievable.

Yet, eventually, Lynn is the one to break the silence, "Did you win?!" She quickly turns the young girl to face her once more.

Lisa smiles, "Of course I won!" She laughs and flares her arms in excitement, "When it comes to what they do, strategy beats brawn sometimes!" She then takes a deep breath, before awkwardly tapping her fingers together and blushing in embarrassment, "I rather… enjoyed it."

"Heh, then maybe the next time you're free, you can go again." Lori suggests, though her father cuts in.

"Now Lori." Lynn Sr. goes, "I know you girls like helping out there, but you've gotta remember, they've got their own life over there. You can't just keep going there and expect everything to be all right."

"Still, if they don't mind of course…" Lori's voice trails off, _"Lincoln doesn't seem to mind…"_

The man then turns towards his remaining daughter, the young diva, "How about you Lola, how did you enjoy your time at the orphanage?"

Lola remains silent, choosing instead to pick at her food as if she is not hungry.

"Lola?" The man repeats, eager to gain the attention of one of his younger children.

"H-huh?" The young pageant queen stammers, "Y-yes?"

The man stares at the young girl for a moment, before softening his expression, "Is something wrong dear? You're usually more talkative at dinner."

"It… it's nothing." She quickly shakes her head, choosing instead to stare at her plate instead of looking up at her father.

On a normal Loud House night, Lola would be one of the more outspoken of her sisters, sometimes resorting to jumping on the table to get all eyes on her. And yet, tonight, she remains oddly steadfast, shrinking in her seat rather than jumping out of it. And while she would normally eat slowly, not eating was just not in her nature.

Lynn Sr. narrows his eyes at his daughter, _"When a girl says that- especially a young one- something's going on."_ He then looks up at his wife, her steadfast expression telling him all he needed to know, "This has to do with Lincoln, doesn't it?" He outstretches his hand, trying to provide some comfort to his young daughter, "When I get my hands on him he's going to…"

"Lynn." Rita cuts off his threat. "While at the orphanage, Lola got into a fight with one of the other children. Lincoln made her stand in the corner and she's been spooked ever since."

Suddenly, the remaining young girls allow their eyes to go wide in shock, before they all turn to their young sister in confusion. No doubt the idea of someone successfully controlling Lola was completely unheard of.

Rita takes a deep breath, before taking Lola's hand in her own, "Though I don't think the punishment is what scared her, it's how he did it."

"Oh?" Lynn raises an eyebrow, "What could've possibly scared Lola here into being afraid of Lincoln?!" she then pinches the younger girl's cheek, "She's so cute and terrifying all at the same time!"

Lisa cut in the answer, "Simple, Lynn." She adjusts her glasses and motions towards the young girl, "He simply remained calm and told her to go stand in the corner in a low voice."

"I literally don't get it." Lori crosses her arms in confusion.

"Yeah!" Luan cuts in, raising one arm jokingly and speaking with a western accent as she does so, "'Round these here parts, you wanna get something done you're gotta be Loud!"

Lisa takes a bite of her meal in response, "This, my siblings, is why I was amazed that Lola was unable to seduce Lincoln with her cuteness nor her threats and tantrum." She can't help but snicker, "I suppose we now know what Lola fears, a low quiet voice that tells her to do things."

"I don't get it though!" Leni tilts her head in confusion, "Why is Lola afraid? You guys scream at us all the time!"

Rita immediately thinks, _"It's the fact that we do scream at them all the time that renders it worthless. I suppose I should've remembered my mother's advice after all."_ She mentally chuckles with that. _"Children respond to quiet much better than loudness."_

"M-may I be excused?" Lola meekly asks, much to the surprise of her sisters- not that any of them have the guts to poke fun at her about it.

In response, her mother stands up and scoops her out of her seat, cradling her like a baby as she does so.

"Mo-mom?" Lola curls up in fear.

Yet, Rita wastes no time bringing her in close, "Don't worry Lola, you don't need to be scared of Lincoln, he's not going to hurt you."

Though, the young girl chooses instead to remain silent, trying instead to starve us the fear she had felt the moment Lincoln proved himself immune to the assaults she had used to control so many others.

"Heh, 'bout time someone could stop her." Luna chuckles and whispers, softly strumming her acoustic guitar as she does so, "She's probably more scared that she couldn't wrap him around her little finger and escape punishment."

"So hey, mom and dad…" Lori rubs the back of her head.

Lynn Sr. turns to his oldest daughter and raises an eyebrow, "Yes Lori?"

The young woman continues, "So, I know you're against us visiting the orphanage all the time as stuff, but uhh…" Her voice trails off for a second, before continuing, "Since tomorrow's Sunday, I was wondering if it'd be all right if I went?"

"Now Lori, I-" Lynn Sr. Starts, only for Luan to cut in.

"Yeah!" She pulls out Mr. Coconuts and speaks through the puppet; "I wanna see the look on those kids' faces when I pie Luan here!"

"But-" The man tries to start again, though is immediately cut off by Lucy blushing and adding, "I would like to go in order to find more inspiration… the orphan's lonely souls give me so much… hope."

"Yeah!" Lana then raises her pet frog, "Plus, I wanna see if he can help me and Hops out with my other pets! I've been having so much trouble with them!"

"Girls I think-" Lynn Sr. fruitlessly tries again, and of course fails to be heard amongst the chattering girls.

"I like totes made the perfect dress design!" Leni nonchalantly waves her hands outward, while her younger sister Luna strums again.

"Heh, and I guess it could help me too to get some inspiration from the little guy." She smiles, _"Plus… I might be able to get him to sing that song again!"_

"Now dear siblings." Lisa quickly hops up in her seat, "I wish to join you on this trip. I found that playing with those young children was… oddly relaxing."

"Heh, plus I'd love to show those kids my moves! I haven't even gone yet!" Lynn smacks her fist into her hand, creating a small "Slap" sound as she does so. No doubt after a single training session with her, everyone's going to be exhausted.

"Poo-poo!" Lily flails her arms and smiles, most likely trying to agree with the rest of her sisters, "Wincoln!"

"Girls!" Lynn Sr. shouts, causing all of his children to go silent in shock, "Be quiet please!"

"Sorry dad…" The young girls respond, before muttering apologies of their own.

The man pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Girls, I know you enjoy going over to the orphanage and having some 'Lincoln Time' every now and then, but you just can't keep doing this."

"We know dad, that's why-" Lori tries to speak up, though her father's glare causes her to relent.

He takes a deep breath, knowing that no matter what he would say next, he would be outnumbered, and from the look on his wife's face, he can tell that she would be siding with the girls on this issue. "If you wanna go tomorrow, I'll allow it, but please, don't storm the orphanage. It's not our home, it's the orphans' ok?" He then leans back in his seat, "Remember the last time we all visited my brother, together?"

"Yeah?" Lynn Jr. Raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"That was the last time we visited him, remember?" The man sighs once more, "So please, be careful, I don't want us getting banned from another place in this."

"Ok dad." The girls, save for Lola, respond in unison, before they return to eating their dinner.

 _ **The Next Day…**_

Vanzilla speeds down the quiet Sunday streets of Royal Woods. On a typical weekday morning, these streets would be packed to the brim with people of all ages rushing to get where they wish to go, and yet on Sunday something special happens: Most people stay in doors.

In a small town like Royal Woods there isn't much to worry about on the weekend, save for the children going out to spend time with each other of course. And so, as the lone vehicle speeds down the town's winding roads, a soft sound echoing as it does so.

"I can't wait to show Lincoln this new dress!" Leni cheers, while holding up a small, orange article of clothing with plenty of frills and laces.

"And I cannot wait to… play with the orphans!" Lisa smiles ever so softly, " _They made sure I wouldn't feel like an outcast…"_

"Don't forget, I gotta make them laugh first!" Luan cuts in, raising her partner, "Isn't that right Mr. Coconuts?!" The puppet immediately nods, "You bet, Luan!"

"Now kids, I know you're all excited to be visiting the orphanage again." Rita goes, cutting through the Loud Girls' typical noise, "But you need to be on your best behavior, we can't have you girls scaring the children or else Mrs. Sherman won't let you come back!"

Yet, Lori wastes no time waving her mother off, "Don't worry Mom, I'm sure everything's gonna be fine!"

"Yeah!" Lynn goes, before blushing ever so slightly and playing with her hair, "Plus, I uhh… wanna show Lincoln my skills and I can't do that if he's afraid of me…" Her voice trails off in embarrassment, prompting Lana to playfully punch her arm, "Aww, Lynn and Lincoln, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-"

But before she can finish, Lynn slams her hand over the young girl's mouth, "What, can't a girl wanna show an awesome boy her moves?!"

Lori snickers in response.

Lucy promptly blushes as well, "I can't wait to show him my new poem. I hope he likes it." Though unlike Lynn, she's able to hide the slight hint of desire in her voice.

"All right, all right girls." Rita quips, "Just don't cause a mess, please." She then pulls up and parks in front of the orphanage, before unlocking the broken doors, "Come on, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see you guys!" She then hops out of the van.

The girls immediately follow, making sure to bring their typical chatter along with them.

And within a few moments, the group of young women is standing in front of the door. Rita wastes no time ringing the bell.

"Coming!" A faint voice calls out, before the young orphanage owner comes along to open the door.

She smiles, taking note of the young girls as she does so, "Ahh Rita, I was expecting you." She coughs before leaning forward ever so slightly.

Immediately, the woman's eyes go wide as she moves in to catch the old woman, "Are you all right Mrs. Sherman?"

The director nods, "Yes, I am, it is but a minor illness." She sighs and forces herself back up, "I apologize, usually I am well enough to take care of the home, but I have been bedridden all day, leaving Lincoln and my husband to run this place by themselves."

"Oh…" Rita's voice trails off, "How about we help out? I'm sure my daughters can-"

"Please." The woman leans against the doorframe, "I know while you mean well, the children don't take well to being overwhelmed… Plus, I wish not to be a bother."

"I understand." Rita continues, "But isn't there a way we can help you? You're in no condition to take care of this place."

*Cough* Mrs. Sherman went again, "My apologies…" She rubs her chin for a short moment, "How about you take them out to the beach for me today?"

"The beach?" The young mother tilts her head in confusion.

"Last night I told the children I would take them out to the beach if the whether permitted, and so they were really disappointed when they found out I was sick." She takes a deep breath, "If you could, please take them to the beach. I do not like breaking their little hearts."

For a moment, Rita hesitates, _"Can I really take care of a bunch of orphans and the girls at the beach? I mean, it's chaos enough when they're alone!"_

Yet, before she can answer, Lori cuts in with, "The beach?! That sounds like a great idea mom!" She then smiles, "I'm sure we can handle them all!"

"Really?" Mrs. Sherman smiles.

The woman nods, "Yes, I believe my daughters and I will be able to handle the children for the day."

"Splendid!" She cheerfully goes, before coughing once more, "I'll go call Lincoln, I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to have so much help." The director then steps aside, "Please, come in. I'm sure you would like to get acquainted with the children before you go out to help them."

The girls look at each other for a moment, before running into the home, their mother following ever so slowly in order to help Mrs. Sherman move. "I'll have my husband stay behind, if you don't mind of course." Mrs. Sherman continues.

"Of course I don't mind." Rita speaks with a soothing tone, as she helps the old woman onto her bed, "I'm sure Lincoln and the other older children will be more than enough to handle everything."

Mrs. Sherman nods, "I'm sure they will." She then closes her eyes and nestles herself in her sheets, allowing Rita to turn and take a deep breath, walking away as she does so.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Welp, at least today's just gonna be n-" Lincoln leans back in his seat, trying to relax while the young orphans played in the yard.

"Come and join us, Linky!" The young Stacy asked, while running over to the boy.

Yet, Lincoln simply waves her off, "No thanks, I'm all right ok?" He smiles and gives her a soft hug, "You go have fun, I'll just relax."

"Ok!" The young girl responds, before running back into the fray.

The young, white-haired boy then leans back and closes his eyes, _"Just gotta stay calm and everything will be all right…"_

"Lincoln!" Nine voices call out, prompting the boy to join up from his short slumber. "Huh, what?!"

Quickly, the young boy scans his surroundings, allowing his gaze to fall upon a certain ten girls standing in front of the back door. Immediately, the young boy's eyes go wide, "G-girls?!" and before he knows it, he's up on his feet greeting them, "What are you guys doing here?"

Lori wastes no time answering, "Well, we were free today and…"

But before she can finish, Lynn cuts in, "We wanted to hang out with ya today!"

" _Come on Lincoln, how long are you gonna fall for this charade! They don't care about you at all!"_ Lincoln steps back in fear for a moment, before quickly recomposing himself, "Wow, thanks guys." He motions towards the nearby children, "But I'm kinda busy today. Ya know, the kids are kinda-"

"Disappointed because you couldn't go to the beach?" Luna cuts him off with a smile, eliciting a rather surprised expression from the boy.

"How did-" Lincoln starts, though Lana intervenes this time.

"Mrs. Sherman told us!" The young plumber jumps up, "Our mom's gonna take us to the beach today!"

Suddenly, the young boy's eyes go wide, "R-really?!"

Luan laughs, "Yeah! It's gonna be a sandy day!" Her pun causes her sisters to groan, not that Lincoln minds.

Without hesitation, he turns and shouts, "Hey everyone! It looks like we're gonna go to the beach after all! Get your stuff!"

Instantly, the young children stop what they're doing and rush into the home, eager to grab their stuff. Lincoln follows them with, "Heh, I'm gonna help them pack up, they love going out of the home."

"Don't worry Linc, we can handle it." Lori smiles.

"Uhh girls…" Lincoln tries to cut them off. And yet, before he can finish, they go and round up the young children, before bringing them upstairs to prepare. "I don't think…" He sighs, _"Well… I guess it couldn't hurt too much. The kids seem to like them…"_ He smiles and follows the girls inside.

And within moments, the Louds and the orphans are walking to the beach, with the children all dressed for the occasion.

"I can't believe we're going to the beach today!" Berry flares his arms in excitement, "And we're going thanks to these nice girls!"

"Oh thank you!" Leni waves the young boy holding onto her hand off.

"Heh, don't worry." Alexis answers, "Thanks though!" The young girl then makes sure to put on the cutest look she can muster, eliciting a smile from Luna.

"Heh, cute kid." The musician quips.

Lincoln stands back just a few short feet away, his hand holding firmly onto the young girl he holds so dear.

" _What luck. Mrs. Sherman decides we can't go and then they come and offer to take us, I can't believe it!"_ Lincoln thinks, his heart racing with the possibilities these girls could bring, _"Don't bother Lincoln, these girls want something from you and they're only coming around because they haven't gotten it yet! Stop fooling yourself!"_ Though, rather than continue arguing with himself, he simply shakes his head and walks along, the Louds and the orphans chattering as they do so.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

And after close to an hour of work, the orphans and the Louds reach their destination; a small beach located just a few blocks away from the houses they call home.

"All right kids, we're here." Lincoln calming declares, stepping in front of the massive group as he does so. The young boy had changed out of the clothes Leni had bought him just a few days prior- choosing instead to wear a simple orange swim trunk and carry a white towel on his shoulder.

"Remember, no rough housing, no fighting, and no-" Lincoln starts, though Lynn cut him off.

"Whatever!" She rushes passed him, making sure to take one of the orphans along with him, "Last one in is rotten Clam!"

"Whee!" Alexis cheers.

Lincoln's eyes immediately go wide, "Wait, what?!"

"Yeah!" Luan throws her head back in laughter, "This is the beach! You don't wanna make the day Sandy!" She then holds up Mr. Coconuts, "Yeah toots, you've gotta give fun a chance!"

" _Yeah, but fun isn't gonna-"_ Lincoln immediately thinks, only for the rest of the girls, as well as the orphans to rush passed him, leaving only the young boy and Rita standing in their wake. For a moment, the young boy stands by, shocked by the rush, while his eyes remain wide.

" _I think I should talk to him…"_ Rita takes a deep breath, before stepping over to the young boy and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you all right? You look like someone has hit you with a taser…"

Immediately, the young boy shakes himself back to reality, "Y-yeah, I'm all right." He then looks forwards, allowing his gaze to fill with the sight of the young Loud Girls playing with the orphans he had come to know. "I'm just… surprised the kids aren't… you know, afraid of them…"

Rita raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Why's that?"

Lincoln shrugs, "I don't know, usually those kids are… withdrawn is the word I think…" He can't seem to move his eyes off of them. They rarely smiled often, let along often enough to note. And yet, here they are, smiling and laughing while playing with the young women that had decided to spend time with them this day.

"Come on, I'm sure it's nothing." Rita carefully rubs the young boy's head, running her hand through his soft, white hair.

" _It's not…"_ He can't help but fight a soft smile, _"It means they're happy…"_ Quickly a familiar voice cuts through his thoughts once more, _"Yeah! Happy without you around!"_

Lincoln shakes his head, breaking Rita's soft touch, not that the woman truly minds.

"Well then, how about we go join them? I'm sure you'll have as much fun as they are." Rita smiles, though Lincoln doesn't look at her.

Instead, the young boy takes a deep breath and smiles, _"At least they're happy, at least they're happy. That's my job."_ He then holds his hand out, "Come on now, Stacy, I know how much you don't like getting separated at the beach."

The young girl quietly nods, before running over and taking Lincoln's hand in her own.

Rita raises an eyebrow, "Uhh… Why isn't she with everyone else?"

"She got lost on this beach last year, and she refuses to go on it unless she's holding onto my hand." The boy explains, before turning and walking away, "Come on, your daughters have probably caused a massive storm already.

The woman nods in understanding and follows.

A few moments later and Lincoln releases the young girl's hand, before kneeling down at her height, "All right Stacy, why don't you stay here and make a sand castle? Won't that be fun?"

The young girl smiles, "Yeah…" She then looks from side to side for a moment, "Can you stay with me?"

Lincoln sorrowfully shakes his head, "Sorry Stacy, but I gotta help everyone out. It's my job ya know!"

The young girl sighs, "Yeah… I know…"

He then rubs her head, "But hey, chin up." He stands up and turns away, "I'll come play with ya before we leave, ok? I promise."

Stacy smiles, "Ok Lincy!" before she drops the bucket and plastic shovel she had brought along and gets to work digging the hole that would act as the foundation for the castle she would attempt to build.

Lincoln then takes a deep breath, _"All right, first thing's first, let's find Cristina and Chandler. I don't need anyone getting lost today…"_ and yet, before he can even get started on the small plan he has cooking iin his mind, a certain young woman grabs his arm and pulls him, "Huh?! What the?!"

"Come on in Lincoln! The water's fine!" Lynn shouts, her voice filling with excitement as she pulls the unsuspecting boy into the cool ocean water.

"G'ahh!" He goes in surprise, before quickly forcing himself to his feet- though given the unpredictable beach water, that task is easier said than done. "Lynn?! What gives?!"

Lynn stands up as well, showing off her pure red bikini… as well as her reddening face, "Well since we're now at the beach, I wanted to know if you'd like to see my swimming moves and stuff."

" _Why don't you watch? I mean it couldn't hurt…"_ Lincoln thinks, before shaking himself back to reality and waving Lynn off, "I'm sorry, but I gotta take care of-"

"The kids?" The young woman tilts her head in curiosity.

The boy nods, "Yeah. They need me ya-"

Yet, instead of letting him finish, Lynn simply waves him off with a close-eyed smile, "Don't worry my sisters have got them handled!" She then motions towards the nearby sandbar, prompting Lincoln to follow.

And from what he can see, each sister was taking care of at least one orphan, with Cristina and Chandler already running around to make sure that everything is going all right. Though… he couldn't help but notice the young diva

"So you don't need to worry at all!" Lynn finishes, before placing her hands on her hips, "Now, do you wanna watch what I can do or not?"

" _Just great! You've been gone so much that not even they need you anymore!"_ The same voice cuts through the boy's mind once more, though this time he forces it back and nods, "Sure Lynn."

The young woman smiles, _"Time to impress him!"_ Before she turns and clasps her hands to together. "Here I go!" Then she dives, creating a small splash. After that, she rushes through the water, creating the same waves one would expect from a boat's motor as she does so.

"Heh, nice one Lynn!" Lincoln holds his hands up to his mouth to echo his voice.

Then, after a few moments of swimming, Lynn rushes back and corkscrews out of the water, splashing the boy as she does so.

"So, what do ya think?!" Lynn cheerfully asks, leaning close to the boy.

" _She's so much better than you."_ The voice breaks in once more. Yet, Lincoln remains undeterred, "Heh, that was pretty cool Lynn. You should teach me how to do that sometime."

" _He liked it!"_ Lynn mentally cheers, "How about right-"

However, this time it's Lincoln's job to cut the young girl off, "Now Lynn, as much as I'd love to learn right now, I gotta help the kids, ok?"

The young woman pouts, "Oh… ok!" She then playfully smacks his back, "Then have fun with that! I'll be here if you wanna learn!"

Lincoln nods, "Of course." Before he turns and returns to the beach, _"I wonder what's up with Lynn…"_ yet, before he can even have a chance to gather his thoughts, Luna speaks up.

"Hey Linc! Wanna join my jam sesh? I've even got you a spare guitar!" The rock star cheerfully holds up a small acoustic guitar. No doubt it was made for someone of the young boy's age. Around her rests a small tarp while Alexis and Berry sit in front of her, intent on listening to whatever music she can provide.

"Yeah Lincy!" Berry shouts, his voice filling with excitement, "Sing us a song!"

"We're always listening to what you sing when you're in the shower!" Alexis adds, flaring her arms as she does so.

" _Well… if what Lynn said is true… I guess it couldn't hurt…"_ Lincoln shakes his head, _"I mean… the kids are happy and the girls are doing a good job taking care of them…"_ He glances around for a moment, allowing him to take in the rather happy orphans playing with whatever girl they just so happen to be near at the moment, before giving a soft smile, his heart falling at ease.

He can't tell what it is. Relief? Joy? Something else? That rushes through his body with that. It is as if some invisible force is telling him that his job is taken care of for once and that he should enjoy the vacation he had been granted.

And he is willing to take the offer.

So, he looks back at the group and nods, "All right, all right, I'll sing for ya guys!" Then, he rushes through the sand and takes the guitar in hand."

Luna smiles, "You start us off, mate."

Lincoln rubs his chin for a moment, before snapping his fingers, "I know just the song!" He then carefully plucks the guitar's strings, "Come and fly away with me!" he smiles and glances up at Luna, "Come and fly away with me!" Then he glances at the young children.

" _Heh, I know this song."_ Luna silently chuckles, before Lincoln nudges her, prompting her to sing as well. And sing she does, "Don't you be afraid everything will change, you and I, jumping off the edge they that dreamers never die so, come and fly, come and fly, come and fly away with me!"

And together they sing, "We're risin'! We're fallin'! We'll make it through! We're climbin'! We're sorin'! A thousand views!" Before Lincoln stops strumming with a soft smile.

"You like that?" Luna asks with a smile.

" _Yeah, you-"_ The voice tries to speak up, yet, Lincoln simply turns to Luna with a smile, "Yeah… it was fun…"

" _Whatever. Even if you have fun, Liberty-"_ The boy hesitates for a moment, _"No…"_ He then places the guitar in the stand Luna had set up, "I'm gonna look around. It looks like your sisters are having fun."

Luna smiles, "Course, now go have fun mate, we'll handle the mess."

" _It's a trap! Don't-"_ The white-haired boy nods, "Got it!" Before he retracts his body quickly and runs forward, eager to find another sister to spend time with. Luckily for him, he doesn't have to wait long.

"Hello Lincoln." Lucy appears wearing a black and white bathing suit and carrying a small umbrella as well and a sheet of paper.

Lincoln snaps his fingers and turns to the girl, "What's up Lucy?"

Lucy blushes in embarrassment, "Well, I uhh… wanted to know if you would like to listen to one of my poems… I uhh… made it for you."

The boy raises an eyebrow in surprise, "You made it for me?"

Quickly, the Gothic girl nods, "Y-yeah!"

He shrugs in response, "I guess it couldn't hurt." He then takes a seat on the warm sand, "I'm ready!"

She gulps, desperate to hide the blush filling her cheeks. Before she holds her hand up to her mouth and coughs. "Here I go." She takes one more deep breath, "There is but one boy I know that is as nice as you, whose lonely soul can fill my own. And yet he walks passed, ignoring my moans. Please, hear me… I beg of thee…" She then lowers the paper, "How was that?"

Lincoln stares at her for a moment, before rubbing his chin, "Hmm, it's strange Lucy, very strange…" While another thought crosses his mind, _"Yeah! Just listen to that poem! Liberty was-"_ However, he immediately counters the voice, _"Liberty wasn't creative like this."_

The young girl pouts, "Oh, you don't like it?"

Yet, the boy simply shakes his head and places his hands on her shoulders, "Not at all. It actually sounds pretty nice." He then looks her in the eyes, "Remember Lucy, just because something is strange, doesn't mean it's bad." He rubs his chin, "Though I'm not sure how I can help you…"

"Maybe if you… talk about someone close to you, you can help me…" Lucy suggests, _"Maybe he already has someone he likes…"_

" _She-she wants me to talk about her?"_ Lincoln's heart begins to race, "Well uhh, I could, but about what?"

Lucy gulps, hoping that she hadn't hit a bad nerve, "I dunno… maybe a story from when you were younger."

"I dunno… I mean, it's a bit… personal ya know…" He rubs the back of his head and tries to look away, only to relent when he notices her begging gaze, _"I guess I'm not gonna get out of this one…"_

"Please, I really need inspiration from another lonely soul…" Lucy begs, her voice going low as she does so.

Lincoln sighs in response, "All right, all right." He then leans back, "Well… I guess I can tell you about the time we had to draw imaginary friends in school." He chuckles, "My sister, Liberty, she drew what amounted to be a pink blob she named Pinkie. It took how an hour and she said she liked cookies and ice cream."

" _Interesting…"_ The young Goth holds her hand over the paper, eager to hear what else he had planned, "Go on, what did you draw?"

"Heh, as for me… well, I spent five minutes on it and…" he smiles and rubs the back of his head with an awkward smile, "I kinda went overboard." He turns back to her, leaning into the sand as he does so, "I just drew the first thing that came to mind… I made a superhero with a backstory that, at the time, took me over an hour to explain and got his powers from these ability card things!"

Lucy smiles, "I think I know what I need to do, thanks Lincoln." And with that, the young Goth disappears.

" _Welp, that was strange."_ Lincoln chuckles, before pulling himself from the sand… only for a piece of seaweed to rub against his leg. "Huh?" He looked towards the source in surprise. And there he is, Orion holding up a few strands of the stuff. "Oh, hey Orion, what's up?"

"Ms. Leni is showing us how to make clothes out of sea weed!" He excitedly goes, before motioning towards the young woman, "Wanna join us?! It's fun Big brother Lincoln!"

For a moment, Lincoln smiles, _"I should after all, from the sound of it, he's having fun."_ He looks around for a moment, just to check to make sure no one would need him. And for a moment, it seems no one does. "Well it looks like…" his voice trails off once his gaze falls upon the young girl, Lola, simply standing way, her arm held awkwardly, as if she wishes not to be seen.

" _That's my fault, isn't it."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, and rubs the boy's head, "How about later? There's something I gotta do first, ok?"

The boy nods, "Ok!" before running off.

Lincoln then stands up straight and takes a deep breath, _"Let's go fix this."_ He then shuffles through the sand as he approaches the young girl.

Lola, meanwhile, simply stares at the ground, desperate not to be spotted by anyone. _"Why did I even come here?! Just because I'm… never included… doesn't mean…"_

"Hey." He calmly greets the young girl.

Immediately, Lola looks up, causing her to come face-to-face with the one boy she didn't want to see on their trip, "G'ahh!" She jumps back in surprise, "W-what do you want?!"

"All of your sisters are having fun." Lincoln calmly continues, "What's going on with you?"

"I- I don't wanna cause any problems!" Lola fearfully steps back, "I mean, y-you are so great and-"

"Lola, is this about yesterday?" The boy looks her in the eyes, despite the young girl's reluctance to do the same to him.

The young girl chooses to shake her head, "N-no!"

" _That's definitely a yes."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, _"Luckily, I've dealt with this before."_ He then takes a knee in front of her, placing him just in-line with her head, before he places his hands on her shoulders, "Lola, tell me the truth, is this about yesterday?" unlike the commanding harshness that engulfed the young boy the day prior, now Lincoln is overtaken by an understanding air, as if he is her big brother and is simply trying to help his younger sibling.

"Y-yes…" The young girl's voice trails off.

The boy takes a soft breath, before pulling the young girl into a soft hug, "Don't worry Lola. I wasn't mad at you. I did it because I love you."

Lola's eyes go wide in shock, "W-what?"

Lincoln then breaks the hug and looks into the young girl's eyes, "Lola, have you ever watched TV shows that showed the most rowdy and harsh child getting adopted?"

The pageant queen nods.

"That's not how it works, ok?" He speaks with an understanding voice, "In order to get adopted, we have to behave ourselves. That's why I told you to stand in the corner, ok?"

She nods, though now, rather than continue to maintain her silence, she begins to tear up. "I'm… I'm sorry…" She whispers.

Lincoln shakes his head, "Sorry for what?"

"I'm… I'm sorry for starting a fight…" She meekly continues.

Lincoln responds by pulling her into another soft embrace, "There's no need. All you gotta do is play nice ok?" Though he can't help but think, _"She was used to being in control no doubt."_ He then stands up and runs her hand through her long, blonde locks, "So, are you going to behave or will I be forced to punish you again?"

Lola nods.

" _Now let's go help her feel better. After all, getting disciplined after years of getting nothing for causing trouble is bound to take a number on someone as young as her… And I know just what to do."_ The boy smiles, "Good." Before he turns, "Lynn!"

Immediately, the young woman rushes out of the water, "Yeah Lincoln?!"

He nudges Lola, "Hey, wanna play Chicken Fight? It's a game where you ride on my back and we try to knock the other person down." He whispers, "You'll be able to tell me what to do."

The pageant queen perks up, her eyes filling with surprise, "R-really?!"

"Yeah." Lincoln then hoists her on his shoulders. "My treat."

"You wanna play this game huh?!" Lynn cheerfully smiles, "Hey Lana!"

"Yeah?!" The young plumber digs out of the sand and immediately spots the sight. She smiles in response, "Oh, it's on!" before she runs over and climbs onto Lynn's back. "Let's play!"

"You wanna do this, girls?" Lincoln finally asks.

And all three nod.

Then, Lynn turns, "Race ya!" Before she bolts back into the water.

Lincoln then nudges Lola. "I'm ready for you."

Lola gives a soft smile, before pointing at their opponents, "After them, my prince!"

And with that, Lincoln gives chase to the young duo.

Nearby though, Rita watches them go, a soft smile forming on her face, _"Wow… that's the first time I've seen Lola… be nice to someone…"_

 _ **Later…**_

"All right Stacy, here ya go!" Lincoln hands a small bucket, filled with sand to the young girl. "Just put that on top and you'll be done!"

The young girl nods, "ok!" before raising the bucket. She tries her best to lift it up, but the medium-sized sand castle proves to be too tall for the young girl to handle, "I-I can't reach!"

" _Heh of course."_ Lincoln smiles, before standing up and taking the young child in his hands and raising her up. "All right, up we go!"

"Yay!" Stacy cheers as she forces the bucket upside down, allowing a final cone to appear at the top of the… rather disfigured structure that could vaguely be described as a castle; not that they cared all that much. "We did it!" The young girl goes as the boy places her back on the soft sand below.

Quickly, she throws her arms around his leg, "Thank you big brother!"

Lincoln rubs her head affectionately, "No problem. No problem at all." He smiles, _"After all, these kids are my life."_

"Hey Lincy, is Mrs. Loud gonna drop off the girls?" The young girl continues.

"Huh?" Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Are they gonna come back?" The girl clarifies, "Our big and little sissies are awesome! Big sister Lana even helped me with my castle!"

"Of course." Lincoln continues to rub her head, though even he can't help, but think, _"Yeah… this is all one big project for them. Once they finish, they'll just leave and never come back. It's not the first time it's happened after all…"_

"Ok!" She cheerfully looks up, into the young boy's eyes. Though surprisingly enough, she speaks with a low voice, "Are you gonna be going with them?"

Lincoln immediately shakes his head and leans down to hug the little girl, "Of course not! Why would you-"

"It's just because you looked like you were having so much fun, Lincy…" Stacy answers, "It's almost like you're already part of their family…"

" _No…"_ Lincoln holds her tight, "Don't worry Stacy, I won't be leaving any time soon." And yet, a small part of him gnaws at his very being. He had been an orphan for five years at this point and for most of his time, he had been doing everything he could to watch out for his sister… which led to him into doing his best to take care of the other orphans at her behest.

Lincoln mentally shakes his head, _"I can't leave the orphanage. Everything's gonna fall apart the moment I do! I'd be abandoning Stacy, Alexis, Orion, Maurice, Berry, Chandler, Cristina, the Shermans and everyone else who could need me, just to fulfill my selfish desire! I don't need to be adopted, after all, someone needs to stay behind to take care of everything after the Shermans retire!"_

"Ok Lincy…" The young girl goes with slight disappointment. "I just thought you looked cute together… Those girls are really talented ya know…"

" _Yeah… I know…"_ Lincoln thinks, before letting go, "Don't worry, I know." Though, seeing his now tired and vulnerable state, the voice speaks up once more, _"Yeah, more talented than you'll ever be."_

"Kids! Time to go!" Rita shouts, eliciting groans of disappointment from the young children. Though, none argue with the woman's command.

"All right!" Lori then speaks up, "You heard the woman! Come on!" And within moments, the sisters grab hold of the young children they had brought with them, before lining up.

Lincoln follows behind. "All right…" He sighs, taking in the sight and making a mental head count as he does so.

"Lincoln." Rita glances at the young boy. "Did you enjoy today?"

The young boy nods, "Yeah… it was fun…" Though the voice adds, _"Yeah, you just got a great reminder of your own inadequacy! But hey, it was fun!"_ His face begins to soften, his nostalgic smile forming a dim frown.

"Is something on your mind?" The woman continues, concern filling her voice.

He shakes his head, choosing instead to look at the young girl holding onto his free hand rather than the woman, "It's nothing, I'm all right."

Yet, after ten children, even Rita Loud knows what those words mean when said by a child. So instead she looks back at the children and declares, "All right, let's go!"

And with that, they head back to the orphanage.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"All right girls, I need you to help get the kids ready for bed." Rita commands as she walks into the orphanage, her daughters and their charges in tow.

*Yawn* Lisa goes in response, "Very well mother." He pulls Orion along, "Come along now.

"Yeah!" Luan quips, "You've got a lot of **sheep** to catch up on!" Before tugging on Berry's hand.

Yet, almost immediately, the young orphans cry out in almost complete unison, "But we don't wanna go to bed yet!"

Rita takes a quick glance around the room. Having to take care of so many children had taught her how to analyze scenes much like this. From what she can tell, Lisa, Lucy and twins are at the sandman's doorway, while Lily had already fallen asleep in her arms. Her older girls are fairing better however and seem wide-eyed enough to last the night. _"I gotta get them to sleep, I can't let Sherman deal with a rowdy crowd."_

And so the woman rubs her chin, "Ok then, "What do you wanna do before you go to bed?"

Berry shouts out the answer, "We want Big Brother Lincy to tell us a story!"

"I don't know…" Rita goes, "I mean, he's tired, how about I go get another story-"

Yet, the young orphans cut her off, "No! We want to hear Lincoln's story!"

In defeat, she looks at the boy, "Are you up to it?"

Lincoln yawns, "Sure, I'm always up for a story." Eliciting cheers from the young children. He then steps forward and over to the living room, before taking a seat in the big story-reading chair and motioning for everyone to take a seat- a command the children wordlessly follow.

"So, what story do you want me to ready, ya guys?" Lincoln asks, grabbing the lone notebook resting on the coffee table as he does so.

Incoherent arguing comes from the young children with that, prompting a soft chuckle from Lincoln, _"At least these guys love my stories."_ He then takes a deep breath, "All right guys, I'll tell you all a new story, ok?"

"Yay!" The orphans cheer in unison. New or old, they truly, don't care which he tells.

And so, with the Louds watching nearby and the orphans watching him closely, Lincoln takes a deep breath. "There once was a young man and a young woman, who lived in a small town know as Echo Creek."

Silence fills the room, "Now of course, Echo creek was ordinary in all the ways one could imagine… except for one." He smiles, "The people of this town had the ability to use spellbooks and control magic with them!"

The young children watch in awe, while the Louds, despite their surname, remain silent. Lincoln continues, "And then, one day, the young man opened a forbidden spellbook, designed only for true masters of their craft! His body was overcome with dark powers unknown to their world. News of this spread quickly through the small town, eventually reaching the young woman."

The boy's voice fills with a soft passion, "She was distraught, unsure of what to do, until an old wizard came to her. He told her that in order to save her best friend, she could use a special spellbook, hidden within the magic library. She immediately began her quest."

"It took her three days to find the book amongst the wreckage that was the Royal Magic Library, but when she did, she went after her lover. Upon confronting him, she opened the book, releasing light unknown to their world, until that very moment. The light engulfed the young man, freeing him the master's dark power, and returning him to the young woman. After that, they kissed, and they lived happily, ever after."

After that, he closes the book, "The end."

"Wow! That was amazing, big brother!" Alexis cheers, before the rest of the orphans cheer in agreement.

"Thanks you guys." Lincoln smiles, before hopping to his feet, "Now off to bed with ya! *Yawn* I'm exhausted." And with that, he heads upstairs, the orphans following soon after. _"After all… just because I'm not worth anything, doesn't mean I can't help others feel worth something."_ He looks down as he climbs up.

The Louds remain silent until the orphans are out of sight.

"Wow… that was literally… impressive." Lori quips, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, very." Lisa adjusts her glasses, *Yawn* "But I believe it is time we return to our own home. It is getting late."

The rest of the Loud Girls mutter sighs in agreement. No matter how much they wanted to stay the night, they have to admit the truth: this isn't their home.

And yet, Rita remains silent, before handing the sleeping Lily over to Leni and walking over to the stairs, "Hey girls, wait a moment ok? I have to handle something. Lori, you're in charge."

The girls nod, allowing the woman to take a breath and head upstairs.

It takes a moment for Rita to find the room of a certain, white-haired boy, and when she does, she takes a deep breath, _"All right, let's do this. Let's help him."_ She then knocks, before pushing on the door ever so slightly.

"You can come in." Lincoln calmly answers.

The woman pushes her way in, taking only a quick moment to take the room in. The room seems to be just like a typical youngster's room, with books and trinkets of all kind scattered about. Though, to most, the fact that there are two beds present despite there being only one child calling it his room, would be strange.

Yet, the woman remembers what Mrs. Sherman had told her, _"That must've been his sister's bed."_

"Lincoln, are you all right?" Rita asks with a hint of concern.

Lincoln rolls over and sits up, "Yeah, I'm all right." His voice is filled with a forced calmness, "Thanks for helping out today, you and your daughters did a great job. No doubt Mrs. Sherman is grateful too…"

Rita smiles, before taking a seat on the unoccupied bed, "Don't worry about it." She leans over and places a hand on his shoulder, "If it wasn't for you, than my daughters probably wouldn't have wanted to come in the first place and the orphans wouldn't have had their beach day."

"Heh thanks…" Lincoln's voice trails off, leaving nothing, but silence between the duo.

"Lincoln…" Rita rubs the back of her head, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you like my daughters?"

"What?" Lincoln shrugs, "I mean, well, they're nice and talented. I don't think there's much I can say about them." He chuckles, "You know… the more I think about it, they kinda remind me of… my sister…" Though he thinks, _"Yeah, they're way more talented than you'll ever be!"_

"Oh, your sister?" Rita raises her eyebrow to feign surprise.

"Yeah… my sister…" He sticks his hand in his shirt and pulls out his small, heart-shaped locket. And with a single push, it opens up, revealing a picture of his whole family.

Rita glances at the picture for a moment, already knowing what had happened to her, though hoping Lincoln would elaborate.

"It's nothing." He closes it up, "Really, it is."

"Lincoln…" The woman places her hands on his, "Now you of all people should know that you can't lie to a mother."

The boy looks away in response.

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone." She leans forward, trying to beckon his response. She then rubs his head, "Come on, it'll help ya!"

" _Yeah, great move idiot!"_ The thought cuts through his mind, _"You just had to mention your sister!"_ Lincoln shakes his head, "It's nothing. She was my sister and she got adopted…"his voice trails off, before he looks away, "It's no big deal."

"Lincoln…" Rita's voice fills with concern once more, "I may have been an only child, but that doesn't mean I can't tell that what happened isn't serious." She stands up and takes a seat next to the boy, "Come on, please."

" _There's no use in hiding it now. She probably already knows!"_ Lincoln thinks, before sighing in defeat, "Fine…" He looks away, "My sister, Liberty, was really smart. I forget what the teachers said about her…" He then looks at the locket once more, "She was really talented too… like your daughters are… and I guess that's why she got adopted and I got left behind… I'm the talentless one…" Lincoln sighs once more, _"Yeah! It's just like what your mom said!"_

"Oh, don't be like that." Rita places a hand on his back, "You're not talentless."

"Yeah, yeah." Lincoln rolls his eyes, "That's what everyone says. But my grades say otherwise." He takes a deep breath and crosses his arms, "I mean, yeah, I was able to get may bad grades up to mediocre, but I've never concentrated long enough on something to make a good impression."

Rita raises an eyebrow in response, "Are you sure?"

The boy nods, "Yeah… a while back, my teachers would say that my lack concentration in class would end up in me getting left back…"

" _After having ten daughters, sometimes things aren't as simple as a teacher would expect."_ She leans in; wrapping her arm around his back, "Well, were you concentrating on something else? I mean, some children don't like studying or listening and would rather think about games or snacks."

"But I wasn't thinking about that stuff…" Lincoln's voice trails off.

"Oh?" Rita leans in closer, allowing a soft whisper, "So then, what were you concentrating on?"

Lincoln speaks with a soft voice as well, "I was… thinking of stories for the toys in the room… I wrote some of them down and I tell them to the other orphans now…"

"Oh? You wrote them down?" Rita stands up in surprise, "Where are they?"

Wordlessly, he motions towards a nearby shelf, filled from top to bottom with damaged notebooks- no doubt said damage came from years of use. "I usually just fill out one, and when I finish telling the stories in it, I just shove it on the shelf."

" _What the…"_ Her mind trails off as she takes one of the books in her hand. Quickly, she flips through, giving the numerous prompts, short stories, idea lists, random chapters and crudely drawn illustrations as quick a glance as she can provide. Of course, what he has written isn't exactly professional-level, but even Rita can tell, it is still better than what someone without skill could produce. Her voice fills with surprise, "Wow, you made this?"

Lincoln lies back down, "Yeah, it's just some stuff I work on for the kids. It's just something I do, ya know… It's not really good enough for anyone else." While the voice adds, _"Yeah, after all, writing isn't a talent. Getting good grades and being super smart is a talent!"_

For a moment, the woman stands by, awestruck by the revelation. And yet, after the moment passes, she smiles and chuckles, "Haha! Have you been playing a game this whole time?!"

"Uhh, no…" Lincoln flatly answers.

"Really?" Rita raises an eyebrow, motioning towards the rack as she does so, "Because there is no way you could do all of this and think you're talentless!"

Yet, Lincoln waves her off, "Whatever… Anyone could do that."

The woman shakes her head and takes a seat across from the boy, prompting him to sit back up. She looks him in the eyes, "No, not just anyone can write this much! I've been trying to write my own book for years and I barely have enough ideas to fill up a single notebook, let alone…" She pauses for a moment to count the notebooks resting on the shelves, "Thirty-seven?!"

"It's nothing." Lincoln response.

"Now I get it…" The woman's voice fills with excitement, "This is why those kids didn't wanna hear just some random story I could find, they wanted to hear your story because they like yours better!"

"It's just because…" Lincoln tries to counter and yet, finds himself stopping his own train of thought. Suddenly, memories of all the times that his exhaustion had prompted him to tell a pre-made story come into view. In most of the cases, the orphans went to bed disappointed, though he didn't really notice. And yet, every single time he told a story he had written himself, he noticed the children would go to bed with bright smiles on their faces. His eyes begin to go wide in realization.

"Lincoln, you're not stupid and you're not talentless. You're a writer and somewhat of an artist." Rita rubs his back, "Your grades suffer, yes, but that's because you focus on something that glosses over things that don't match up with your talent. I've seen it in my children so many times." A soft smile appears on the woman's face, "Lynn, Leni and Luna aren't the best students, but that's because their drive is towards sports, design and music."

"But… my teachers and even my mom said I was… stupid…" Lincoln's voice trails off.

"Lincoln, there's a smart man out there, who is often quoted as saying…" Rita takes a moment to collect her thoughts, "Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree…"

Yet, Lincoln cuts her off before she can finish, "It'll live its entire life thinking it's stupid…" And almost immediately, Lincoln's eyes go wide, allowing the final part to a repressed memory to come into view.

* * *

*Sniffle* The young Lincoln cries into his pillow, desperate to keep his sobs down.

"Lincoln…" A masculine voice greets, as his father pushes his way into the twins' room. Luckily, Liberty is still downstairs watching TV. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing dad… I'm just a stupid dummy…" Lincoln quietly answers, before returning to his crying, "And Liberty is the greatest ever…"

His father can't help, but glare at his wife for a moment, before turning back to his son, "Now Lincoln, just because Liberty is good at some things, doesn't mean you're not good at things too!" He chuckles and rubs his son's head, running his hand through his short, white hair, "I mean, I wasn't the best student in school either. And Max? Haha!" The man gives off a hearty laugh, "You wouldn't believe how many times he had to stay after school just to avoid summer school and being held back!"

"Yeah… school in the summer is the worst…" Lincoln mutters, "Really dad?"

The man nods, "Yes Lincoln. I don't agree with your teacher. You aren't dumb, you're just smart in your own way."

The young boy turns and sits up, coming face-to face with the man.

He continues, "Remember Lincoln, she has to take care of and teach two dozen children, she doesn't know how to help the one child who learns differently from everyone else."

"You mean it dad?" Lincoln meekly asks.

The man nods, "Of course, son." He hugs his child. "After all, if you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree, it'll live its entire life thinking it's stupid."

"Will I have to go to summer school?" The boy continues.

His father smiles, "Not for a long time Lincoln, but if you don't wanna go, then you're gonna have to get your grades up, ok?"

"Ok…" The boy nods in understanding.

"Now, how about you tell me that story you made for the dolls." The man continues, "Your teacher told me you made a lot of them."

The young boy smiles, "Ok!" The next part is a blur to Lincoln, with him only being able to remember that he talks fast and a lot. He runs around the room, grabbing dolls and action figures of all kinds, even adding some of his own toys into the mix. And overall, he is having a fun time.

All the while, his father holds onto a soft smile, while he notices his mom hold on to a rather strange one.

Though now that he thinks about it, it was amazement.

And after he had told his story, he jumps back on the bed with his father and flares his arms, "The end!"

"Heh." The man chuckles, "That was a good story son." He glances at the nearby woman and nods.

"Wow Lincoln…" The woman pushes her way into his room, "I'm sorry I doubted you…" She straightens up, "But while I'll admit you have the ability, you need to work on your grades…" her voice trails off, "If they do, I'll listen to another one of your stories."

"Really?!" Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, "Ok! I promise!"

"Heh, now then, I must make dinner." The woman declares, "You guys are having Lasagna… I'm going to have crow."

Now that he thinks of it, he still doesn't know what she means by that.

* * *

And after that, Lincoln blinks back to reality, a soft smile forming on his face.

Of course, that is the expression Rita has seen so many times before. The sign that someone has realized what they're good at.

Without warning, Lincoln hops to his feet and throws his arms around the woman, "Thank you, thank you so much."

Rita smiles and returns the sudden hug, "No problem."

And for once, the voice doesn't speak up.

After a few moments pass, Lincoln is the one to break the embrace with a yawn, *Yawn* "Thanks so much Ms. Loud. I think I should go to bed now though, I've got some work to do in the morning."

"All right, dear." The woman smiles, before walking away.

Lincoln proceeds to climb in his bed, and close his eyes, his mind now filling with countless ideas- many of which connect back to a certain Loud Family and their ten daughters.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Rita slowly closes the room door with a soft smile, _"Wow… I almost forgot how that felt…"_

She feels a soft tug at her leg, prompting her to look down. "What the?" Her eyes fall upon a young girl, cradling a small stuffed bunny, looking up at the woman with unsure eyes. "Oh, hi Stacy, what are you doing up still?"

"I just wanted to ask you something…" The girl meekly goes.

Rita raises an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"If you take Lincoln away… could he come back to tell us stories?" The young girl continues, seemingly on the verge of tears.

" _What do I say?"_ The woman takes a knee, coming down to height with the girl, "Don't worry Stacy… if I do that, then I promise, I'll let him come."

The girl smiles, and gives Rita a quick hug, before running into her room without another word.

" _That was… strange…"_ She then turns and walks down the stairs, "All right girls, time to go home!"

The girls are all to happy to follow the command and leave the home, leaving Rita alone.

*Yawn* The young woman goes, "What a day."

"From the sound of it, it was." A feminine voice greets, prompting the woman to turn to the source.

Rita's soft gaze falls upon a familiar sight, the orphanage director with a soft smile on her face. "Oh, hello Mrs. Sherman, you're looking very well."

"Why yes." She fakes a cough into her hand; "A day of rest does wonders when you're sick." She then looks back at the younger woman, "Did they have fun today?"

"Yeah, I also made sure they ate." Rita smiles, "They loved the food."

"Thank you." Mrs. Sherman leans against her small cane, "Did… anything else of interest happen?"

For a moment, Rita considers telling her what had just transpired in the boy's room. How she felt worried and asked him what was going on, only to help him realize what he was truly good at. And yet, even without a word, the older woman knew the truth.

"Thank you for helping Lincoln." She continues, cutting off Rita's answer, "He's always been the creative one while his sister was the rational one. I have tried to help him, but I could never get through. Thank you so much."

"It was no problem." Rita shakes her head with closed eyes, "I love helping children."

Mrs. Sherman then turns away, "That is nice and would explain the large family…" She hesitates for a moment, "But Rita… I ask you to please be careful."

The younger woman tilts her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Now Rita, I have been running the Royal Woods Orphanage for close to fifty years, and it is difficult not to get close to some of the children. In fact, I have done it many times before." She pauses for a moment, as if trying to choose her words carefully, "And every time, the child gets adopted and my heart breaks. Then I promise I will not get close again… only to break that the first chance I get…" She looks back at her, "Of course, some choose to come back to their roots, but very few do and I almost never see most of my dear orphans after they leave."

"What are you getting at?" Rita asks, though deep down, she already knows what the older woman is implying.

Mrs. Sherman sighs and turns to face the Loud once more, "Rita, I will not force him upon you, but please, if you plan on becoming close to him, prepare for heartbreak… or follow through." She looks the woman in the eyes, "But I beg of you, do not tease him into becoming close to your family, without letting him be a part of it." She sighs, "He does not need to lose another family."

For a moment, Rita simply remains silent, unsure of how to respond to the woman's request. Yet, the younger woman takes a deep breath, "All right Mrs. Sherman, thank you so much."

"And thank you for your service." The older woman nods.

"It was my pleasure." With that, Rita steps out of the home.

"So, I guess part one is done." Mr. Sherman walks into the room, an uncharacteristic smile on his face, "Lincoln knows what he's good at."

His wife smiles and nods, "Yes, now it is time for part two… giving him a new home."

"Bout time." The man chuckles, before taking his wife's arm and walking into their room, together.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"That was like, totes awesome you guys!" Leni cheers as she walks into their home, "I mean, I made so many seaweed dresses, it was amazing!"

"Yeah!" Lynn punches the air, "And I got a chance to show Lincoln my moves!"

"Yeah." Lana crosses her arms in frustration, "Showed him you moves at losing!"

The athlete's face goes red, "What?! I let him win!" She crosses her arms and looks away from her younger siblings.

"Oh?" Lola laughs, "So you let a boy beat ya? And here I thought you didn't like any boys!"

Suddenly realizing her mistake, Lynn frantically waves her arms in front of her, "N-no! That's not what I meant!"

"Haha! That must've been a **crushing** defeat!" Luan cuts in, laughing as she does so.

Lynn remains quiet, seemingly heartbroken over the revelation.

"Heh, at least I was able to get him to sing again." Luna smiles, _"Though I wonder why he didn't sing that song…"_ Yet, she shoves the thought in the back of his mind, _"Whatever, I'm sure it's not that important…"_

"I agree, sisters, I had… fun, as well." The young scientist smiles, breaking her typical stoic demeanor.

"Poo-poo!" Lily adds, clapping her hands as well.

Immediately, the young children begin to speak so Loudly, that their conversations seem to meld into one garbled mess, luckily they are used to it though.

"Haha!" Rita laughs, before opening the front door, "I'm glad you enjoyed girls, now off to bed with you, it's getting late!"

The girls choose not to argue and walk as one group up the stairs, leaving Rita alone in the living room.

The woman takes a soft breath, "Today was a fun day." She quips.

"It was huh?" Lynn Sr. steps out from their room.

"Yeah, we enjoyed spending time at the beach." The woman continues with a smile, "What about you?"

For a moment, the man considers talking about his rather… bland day, though ultimately decides against it, "Rita… we need to talk."

Rita raises an eyebrow, "Oh? About what?"

Lynn Sr. steps into the kitchen and takes a seat at their oversized table, motioning for his wife to follow, which she does.

The woman takes a seat and wastes no time asking, "What's going on?"

He takes a deep breath, "Rita, I think you're getting too attached to Lincoln." He looks her in the eyes and grabs her hands softly, "I know you mean well, but we can't adopt him or anyone. And at the rate you're going, that's what might happen!"

"What are you talking about, Lynn?" Rita narrows her eyes at the man.

"Before, you were just letting Lincoln come over, and now you're treating the orphans as if they were your children as well!" An understanding frustration fills Lynn Sr.'s voice, "Rita, the Shermans can't afford to have those children get attached to a family that can't take them. Those kids no doubt already have a tough time getting separated from each other! Who knows what'll happen when the girls can't stay!"

"Lynn…" Rita tries to start; yet her husband doesn't relent.

"Rita, if you wanna take the orphanage over after the Shermans retire, that's fine, you can change your career, but please don't tease them like this." He then looks her in the eyes, "And tell me, why are you getting so attached to that one boy anyway?" He looks her in the eyes, "Ever since he walked through that door and found out he was an orphan, I know you've been thinking about what you have."

"It's because Lynn… I like taking care of children…" The woman looks away, as if trying to hide how she truly felt. "We have ten already and I love being their mother."

For a moment, the man hesitates, carefully choosing the words he would use to convince his wife to end it all, "Rita, I'm gonna be blunt here, I think you should stop. The girls are getting too attached to them and I don't like the fact that he's starting to change them too."

"What are you talking about?" Rita raises an eyebrow.

"Yesterday, Lola came home too scared to talk! Lisa's starting to get behind on her studies!" The man rolls his eyes and waves his hand, "Yes, yes, I know we wanted her to start acting her age, but still, her work is important!" He then looks her in the eyes, "Rita, you need to let this boy go, he has his own life, and we have our own."

Rita looks away, knowing that he is right. And yet, she still whispers, "No…"

"What?" The man looks on in confusion, "What do you mean?"

She looks into her husband's eyes, her own filling with a tears and a begging hope, "I want a son!"

"What?" Lynn Sr.'s eyes go wide in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean Lynn! I'm tired of waiting, getting pregnant, trudging through it all and giving birth again and again, only to be disappointed with another daughter again and again!" She grabs her husband's hands

The man can't help but gasp at his wife's revelation, "You- but our girls…"

"Lynn, I love our daughters, they're the greatest blessing we could possibly have, but every single time, I've hoped and begged that we would have at least one boy among our army of girls. To break the routine, to give us new challenges!"

"But Rita…" The man tries to cut in, yet the woman doesn't give up.

"I know it's wrong, but I can't help it." She holds her hand over her heart, "Ever since the boy walked through our door, he's been the closest thing we've had to a son. And I'll be **damned** if he doesn't act like how I've imagined our son would." She then points at the nearby stairs, "In what little time he's been around, he's managed to get the girls to actually start acting like family rather than forced together roommates!" She takes a deep breath, "And I've helped him realize his true potential for Pete's sake!" She grabs onto Lynn Sr.'s hands as tightly as she could, "I got him to realize that he is just as talented as his sister, Lynn! And he thanked me! For crying out loud, he thanked me! And that's not the only thing he's done! Lori's begun to care more for her siblings, Leni's had a creative boom, Luna's learned that he has a story of his own to tell, Luan is telling actual jokes, Lynn finally got the sparring partner she's wanted and a crush, Lucy's got both a crush and someone she can relate to, Lana's learned from him, Lola finally got disciplined, Lisa found him interesting and Lily is acting like he's her big brother already!"

" _In just the few days we've known him, he's done that much?"_ The man's gaze softens, though his wife isn't finished.

"I love our girls, I really do. They're the gifts that keep on giving! But it's getting both boring and frustrating to have to teach them the same lessons and give them the same tips and prepare them each the same way! And I'm gonna have to help them with their growing bodies at least six more times!" She looks down at the table, "Lynn, I wanna try again when Lori leaves for college, but I don't want it to be that we have **another** ten girls before we finally have a son. Is it so wrong for me to want to treat Lincoln as the boy we never had, Lynn? To want to… impart a different kind of wisdom onto him? To help him become a young man instead of raising another girl to become a young woman, even if it is just practice for our own?" Finally, she looks the man in the eyes once more, "And Lynn, don't lie to me. I know you're wanted a son for as long as I have. And dangit, I know it's wrong but… I think I love him as if he were our own…"

The man remains silent for a moment, unsure of just how to take the revelation, though secretly he agrees with his wife. He loves his daughters, but even he has wondered what life would be like with another man in the house, to keep things on the straight and narrow.

For a moment, he considers arguing her points; after all, that's what he's been doing ever since this saga started. And yet, he finds himself unable to argue. Because he knows his wife is right. As much as he wishes to continue their argument, even he couldn't lie to himself. He wants a son too.

And so, he sighs, "All right Rita… I'll think about it, ok? And we'll talk about it tomorrow. It's getting late."

The woman nods, "All right dear." Before she stands up and walks into their shared bedroom.

And for a moment, the man sits by, unsure of how to take his wife's words. And yet, he sighs once more, _"I have to find out what all the fuss for this boy is about. Yeah, I talked to him for a bit and felt sorry for him, but…"_ He shakes his head and stands up, _"It looks like I'm gonna have to spend time with him to figure out what his deal is."_ After that, he simply walks into his bedroom as well.

1-6-20-5-18 1-12-12 20-8-9-19 20-9-13-5, 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 8-1-19 6-15-21-14-4 8-9-19 3-1-12-12-9-14-7 9-14 12-9-6-5! 9 23-15-14-4-5-18 9-6 8-5 23-9-12-12 19-20-1-18-20 23-18-9-20-9-14-7 12-15-21-4 8-15-21-19-5 6-1-14 6-9-3-20-9-15-14

 **A/N Man, that was awesome! I'm finally starting to get back into the flow of things! Anyways, I thank Wolvenstrom and Sunblast-X for all their help with this chapter!**

 _ **Credit:**_

 **TheFatRat - "Fly Away feat. Anjulie" Link: (YouTube) cMg8KaMdDYo**

 **Great news everyone! The story has been planned out until its conclusion! I'm going to attempt to increase my update rate now to every Saturday, though given the nature of how I write and school, I'm not promising that. I hope you guys enjoyed!**


	14. Finding A Father

**A/N Oh look, a chapter written in one week? What sorcery is this?! Haha, anyways, Hey guys, and welcome to chapter 13! Oh look, a Lynn Sr. centered one! I hope you guys enjoy! Also, everyone here is a year younger than in canon, I should've pointed that out sooner!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Thirteen: Finding a Father

"I want a son!" Rita's words echo through the halls of the building she had called home for close to twenty years. The sound easily passes through the paper-thin walls that divide the two parents from their ten young daughters. "You know what I mean Lynn! I'm tired of waiting, getting pregnant, trudging through it all and giving birth again and again, only to be **disappointed** with another daughter again and again!"

For a moment, the young women remain silent- partly out of a desire to remain unnoticed and partly out of shock. When Lynn had told Rita that they hat to talk, their young daughters couldn't help, but decide to listen in. Thankfully, the two oldest members of their clan tend to forget that it is impossible to have any kind of private conversation in their small abode. And since the duo had decided to have their conversation in the kitchen, everything they said would be audible to people standing in Lisa and Lily's shared room.

" _Does she mean what I think she means?"_ Lori hesitates, as if trying to shove the rest of the thought into the back of her mind. And yet, she finds herself finishing it anyway, _"Mom and dad would've stopped having us if they had a son?"_ She glances over her younger sisters- each of them sporting expressions that speak of both fear and concern.

"That's harsh bro…" Luna looks down in disappointment and shakes her, "Mom's saying she didn't want us…"

"Grr!" Lola growls, almost loudly enough to penetrate the floor below. Thankfully, however, the young girl is able to restrain herself just enough to prevent it from doing so. "I'm gonna march down there and-"

"Lola, shush!" Lana plants her head against Lisa's carpeted floor, "Mom's not done talking!"

"Lynn, I love our daughters, they're the greatest blessing we could possibly have…" Their mother continues, her voice filling with desperation, "But every single time, I've hoped and begged that we would have at least one boy among our army of girls. To break the routine, to give us new challenges!" and for the next moment after that, their young mother goes on about her point, making sure to reveal everything she had been feeling ever since she met the young orphan, leaving not only her husband in awe, but her daughters as well.

"Wow…" Lori whispers, "I never knew mom felt that way…" She turns to the rest of her siblings, "Did you guys?"

"No…" Luna looks away, unsure of whether or not she believes the words coming from her mouth, "I guess she just… wanted a son…"

"Come on guys, what she's saying isn't true!" Lynn cuts in, her voice filling with the same desperation that had filled her mother's voice mere moments prior, "Lincoln hasn't done that much since I brought him over, right?"

"Yeah!" Luan raises her finger, seemingly trying to look smart while she answers her little sister, "We've been One **Loud** Family together for years! Lincoln hasn't changed that!" She then throws her arms out in an attempt to emphasize her point, "Right?"

The young sisters turn to each other for the answers and yet, none of them seem to find any to tell.

"It seems I will have to explain." Lisa takes a deep breath, before standing up straight and adjusting her body to at least seem like she is knowledgeable in inter-personal relationships, "I believe our mother is correct in her observation." While she thinks, _"Lincoln has made an impact since his arrival, though I am surprised by the fact of just how much he has accomplished…"_

"What?!" Lynn turns towards her three-year-old sister, though she fights the urge to grab and raise her fist towards her, "Why's that?"

"Let me explain." Lisa walks over to her nearby chalkboard and grabs one of the white rocks waiting at its base. "You see, I have noticed that unlike families I have had the pleasure of using in my experiments, out family does not seem to fully interact on a regular basis…" Though she can't help but think, _"And yet, my sisters has started… bonding with each other… I do not understand why…"_

"Yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?" Leni raises her arms in confusion, "I mean, just because we don't act like each other doesn't mean we're not close!"

"Quite the contrary." Lisa considers face palming for a moment, though she decides against it, "Let me continue then…" She moves her piece of chalk closer to the board, ready to start drawing a complex series of equations and graphs of all sorts- though she already knows that none of her siblings would be able to understand any of it, "You see…we…" And yet instead of drawing, her hand starts to tremble, almost as if she herself couldn't help, but want to fight her next words. _"Is it because of him? Did we just not care about each other?"_

"Lisa?" Lana tilts her head in confusion, "You all right, sis?"

She lowers her hand and clutches the piece of chalk hard enough to break it in half.

"Uhh, Lisa?" Luna walks up and places a hand on the young scientist's shoulders, "You all right lil' sis?"

"Ever since Lincoln came, you all have started to act... differently…" Lisa turns around, though her stoic nature prevents her from showing any further emotion, "I believe that you all began to treat each other differently because he came along." While she thinks, _"And it is like you are becoming a full family now…"_

"Come on, that's not true!" Luan waves her scientist sister off, "We love each other! We're a family after all! A band of misfits!"

Lisa carefully adjusts her glasses, "Then, pray tell, who is Luna's favorite musician?" She tares the comedian in the eyes, "You two share a bunk bed after all."

For a moment, the young woman thinks, _"It started with an M, right? Mickey? Yes!"_ She smiles, "Mickey Mouse!"

The light in Luna's eyes slowly fades into disappointment, "No sis… it's Mick Swagger…"

" _Mother's observation was right…"_ Lisa's heart slowly begins to race as she turns towards her athletic sister, "And Lynn, what is the name of the statue Lucy keeps on her nightstand?"

Lynn rubs her chin for a moment, "Uhh… Alex?"

Lucy suddenly appears at her side, eliciting startled screams from her siblings, "No… It's Edwin…"

Lisa takes a deep breath with that, "I believe my point is clear." She then returns the broken chalk to its resting place, "As mother noted, ever since that boy walked through the door… he has done more to help you girls out…" While she can't help but think, _"And he's even helped me find companionship…"_

"But, we've hanged out before, right?" Lori's voice fills with concern.

The girls look away for a moment, their silence speaking louder than any explanation could.

"Now that I think of it…" Lucy holds up her poetry book, many of its pages now filled with entries following a certain white-haired boy, "What if mom and dad don't like the fact that they have to take care of so many children?" Her voice fills with despair.

"What do you mean?" Lola flares her arms, "Mom and dad love us!"

"I mean, from the sound of it, if it wasn't for dad's difficulty 'siring an heir' some of us might not even have been born…" She looks down in defeat, with her sisters doing the same, all wondering if they would have even been given a chance had they had a boy before all of them.

Yet, noticing her sister's pained expressions, Lori speaks up, holding her arms out for emphasis, "Come on girls, it's not like that! Mom said so!"

"Easy for you to say." Lana looks up at her eldest sister, shaking her head as she does so, "If mom and dad just wanted one boy and one girl, then you'd be the girl they wanted."

"Do not fret siblings." Lisa cuts in, in an attempt to help her sister, "If mother and father sincerely wished to have fewer children, then they would have stopped and adopted years ago." She quickly adjusts her posture, "Therefore I have reason to believe that her statement mentioning that they wished for a large family is rooted in reality." She can't help but follow that up with a thought, _"Though given the size and nature of the members we already have, the idea that they wish to_ _ **continue**_ _having children as my elder siblings move out is highly irrational."_

"Whatever!" Lola growls, "At the rate he's going, he's gonna be mom's favorite!" She waves both of her hands trying to dismiss any counterargument, "After all, he's the 'son she always wanted'!" She crosses her arms in frustration, before her expression softens.

The young women look at each other for a moment, trying to let Lola's argument seep in. And yet, after everything they have done, her words seem hollow.

"Lola…" Lana rubs the back of her head, "What do you think of Lincoln."

In an instant, the past few days rush to the forefront of the young diva's mind. The argument, the fighting and the game they played together. For a moment, it doesn't seem real. To think that one moment, this boy easily made her stand in corner as punishment and the next, he's helping her push her sisters into the water! "He… he's a nice boy."

"Siblings…" Lisa sits down on the carpet, "I think that Lincoln has been the closest thing we've had to a brother… ever…"

"Yeah…" Luan sits down next to her, "I think he's been a **brother** of a kid to have around…"

Luna follows the comedian and sits on her opposite side, "Dudes, I don't think we should blame him for this stuff… after all, he did help us out."

"Could you just imagine what having a little brother would be like?" Leni then sits next to Luan at an angle, her eyes filling with dreaming stars, "Aww, I'd change his diapers!"

"Heh, I'd probably finally get the dirty playmate I always wanted." Lana then mirrors Leni's seat next to Luna. "Boys love the dirt!"

"What?" Lola scoffs at her twin, "I'd make sure he was clean and always pick out the nicest clothes for him to wear!" She adds to the forming circle by sitting next to Leni at an angle.

"I would use him to inspire my poetry." Lucy calmly adds, a soft blush forming on her cheeks, _"I just wish that I knew how to show him how I feel…"_

Lynn smacks her hands together; "Heh, plus I'd train him in every single sport I know!" Those two girls then take seats in the circle as well.

"That's not mentioning what we'd do the day he brought a girl- or a guy- home!" She nearly squeals at the idea of her little sibling bringing the partner of his dreams home, "We'd probably start a sis-tornado just out of pure joy!"

"Poo-Poo!" Lily waves her arms as well, happily trying to add to the conversation as she does so. And in response, the ten sisters laugh in unison, some even tearing up as they do so.

Lori wipes some of the liquid forming under her eye, "Heh, we'd probably spoil him more than anyone else."

The sisters respond by nodding in unison. No doubt they had been through something like that before.

"You know dudes… I think it'd be nice…" The musician rubs the back of her head, "It's like what mom said, it'd be novel for us, something we've never done before."

"Mom did mention getting bored of having to teach the same thing over and over again…" Lori rubs her chin.

"Yeah!" Luan speaks up, "When mom found blood in my sheets one morning, it only took her ten minutes to explain what was going on!" She flares her arms for emphasis, "Maggie's mom took a whole **hour** to explain what was going on!" She rubs her chin for a moment, "Come to think of it, she called me Luna at one point… and then Lynn, before she laughed and said 'oops, jumped the gun there'."

"Well then, I guess we're in agreement." Lori can't help, but chuckle at the idea of her mother effortlessly giving one of her little sisters the dreaded 'talk', before she adjusts her posture and smiles, "Lincoln would make a good brother?"

And the girls nod in agreement.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Lynn Sr. sits on his and his wife's shared bed, his mind a buzz with the conversation that had just occurred. Nearby, his wife sleeps soundly, their bed sheets wrapped well around her body. No doubt he would be feeling cold this night.

" _I don't get it."_ He thinks, looking up at a nearby photo of his family, _"Why are you girls so… enthralled by this boy? I talked to him once and thought nothing of it! Right…"_ He shakes his head for a moment, _"And now these girls are going out of their way to make sure that he comes around and they go over there as often as possible! I just don't get it!"_

He hops to his feet and grabs the photo. _"Yeah, it's great that they're all happy and stuff, but… why is Lincoln involved with it all?!"_ The man sighs in defeat and turns toward his sleeping wife, _"Yeah, Rita's right about me, I've always wanted a son too. Heck, when we thought junior was gonna be a boy, we planned to name her after me!"_

" _But that doesn't make sense though… they've known him for only a few days now and they're still getting so attached to him and those orphans!"_ He nearly groans, though his desire to allow his wife to sleep trumps his desire to show his frustration, _"Ugh, why does it feel like I'm both the smartest and the dumbest person around here?!"_ He holds the sides of his head in an attempt to calm down.

" _Yeah, I want to have more kids, but Rita and I need to have some money left in the bank for when we finally retire… And the girls are endearing themselves to orphans we can't take care of! If they keep going, everyone's gonna end up with a broken heart and an empty pocketbook!"_ He grabs his phone and steps out of the room, careful not to wake up his wife, making sure to slowly close the door behind him, _"From what I've seen, Lincoln's a good kid, but I don't see him as the son I've always wanted. The girls fill that role pretty well already."_

And with that, he looks down at the small device, _"But… some things can only be shared between a father and son…"_ He starts to dial, _"Maybe it is my turn to see what Lincoln is all about… and maybe my chance to finally do something the girls never wanted to do."_

Lynn quietly hits the 'call' button with that, causing the device to ring for a few moments.

"Hey Lynn Loud Senior!" The man on the other end greets, "It's pretty late right now, what's going on?"

"Hey Mr. Freeman, I'm not feeling too well, I don't think I can come in to work tomorrow." He tries to sound as tired as he can to hammer in the point.

"I'm sorry to hear that." The man speaks with an understanding tone, "Most of the time, I'd expect my workers to be drinking up a storm of some kind, but I didn't give you your good work bonus cause you kept calling in sick to starve off a handover. Feel free to take the day off. Thanks for the heads up!"

Lynn Sr. smiles, "Thank you Mr. Freeman, have a good night."

"You too." The man responds and with that the line goes dead.

" _It looks like it really is my turn."_ The man takes one more deep breath, before reentering his room and going off to sleep the night away.

 _ **The Next Morning…**_

"All right Rita, I'm headed out!" Lynn Sr. declares, grabbing the car keys as he does so.

"I'm surprised, Lynn, why'd you call in sick to work today?" His wife stops him, tilting her head in confusion as she does so, "It's not like you is why I ask."

The man shrugs, "It's been a while since I spent some time with my guy friends, we're plannin' on having a guy's day out is all."

For a moment, the woman considers trying to push the matter further, though instead simply shrugs, "Fair enough. It has been a while since I've seen Mick and the rest of those boys."

"Heh, I know, right?" Lynn then turns around and waves goodbye to his wife, "Anyways Rita, see you later!" And with that, he steps out of the home and closes the door behind him, hoping that she and his numerous daughters bought the lie. _"I just gotta get out of sight and everything's gonna be all right. Thank goodness Rita's working in the dentist's office, that means I don't have to worry about running into her volunteering."_

Quickly, he hops in the family van and drives off, leaving skid marks in his wake. The man wastes no time driving through the town, just as he had done countless times before, as he makes his way to a certain orphanage resting on the side opposite his home. After that, he parks in front and hops out, turning to face the building as he does so, _"All right, I'm here. Let's go find Lincoln."_

Wordlessly, he walks up to the front door and raises his hand to knock, _"I just gotta tell them I'm here and…"_ He hesitates, _"Wait… If I go now, Lincoln's probably gonna start acting proper and stuff in order to attract parents…"_ He glances around for a moment, allowing his gaze to fall upon the small opening between the home and the one next door- no doubt used for quick access to the back yard. _"If I do this, and I get caught, everyone's going to say I'm a creep."_

He takes a deep breath, _"But… If I wanna find out what's going on with my daughters and wife, then I have no choice, now do I?"_ And so, despite what many would suggest a man of his age do, he quietly steps over to the side of the orphanage and walks through, allowing him a perfect view of the backyard.

From what he can see, the young children run around playing with a bright red ball- no doubt Rita or Lynn Jr. had bought it for them just the day prior- while other children simply lie down on the grass to relax. _"Now where is…"_ The man scans the scene and finds the young boy that had been the subject of his trip simply sitting at a small table, with three young girls sitting across from him.

"More tea, Sir Lincoln?" Alexis cheers, raising the plastic teapot as she does so.

Lincoln smiles and raises one of the plastic cups, "Don't mind if I do, Lady Alexis." He does his best to put on a fake British accent, though the man can tell he's not very good. The boy then turns to the youngest sitting at the table, "Would you like some crumpets, Lady Stacy?"

"Yay!" Stacy cheers, flaring her arms as she does so.

The man can't help, but chuckle at the scene. _"Heh, I still can't believe just how many times Lola's convinced me to do that with her and Lana."_ His eyes wander after that, causing them to fall upon a nearby set of children, just about Lincoln's age. Within moments, they approach him.

"Hey Lincoln." The young redhead goes, "It looks like Maurice and Orion want you playing with them." She holds her clipboard at her side, "Do you wanna join them?" While the other redhead simply pants in exhaustion- no doubt he had been hard at work making sure that the children didn't get hurt.

Lincoln smiles, "Sure Cristina, would you mind taking over here while I do that?"

The girl shrugs, "Of course, I don't mind."

In response, Lincoln stands up.

"Lincoln!" The third girl- Sally- shouts, "You haven't finished your tea!"

The boy's eyes go wide both in shock and shame, "My bad, girls." He quickly holds the plastic cup up and pretends to drink, "There ya-" He starts, placing the cup down as he does so.

"I think he needs more!" Stacy declares, before Alexis begins to pour more invisible tea into his cup, eliciting a soft smile from the boy, _"Heh, of course they'll do that."_ And with that, he smiles and continues to drink. Though Lynn notices the boy's eyes wandering, making sure to keep watch over the rest of the orphans.

For a moment, Lynn rubs his chin, thoughts beginning to fill his mind once more, _"I have to admit, he's doing a good job watching out for those kids… It's like he's watching out for children of his own…"_ He turns around and steps out from the opening, _"I guess he's like a parent in his own way."_

And so, Lynn Sr. approaches the front door to the orphanage once more, _"Ok, I really have no idea what I'm going to be doing with him, but I'm sure the boy will have something he'll love to do that I can do!"_ With that in mind, he knocks.

A moment of silence passes, before a familiar man opens up the door with a soft smile, "Hello there, Mr. Loud correct?"

"Yes, I'm the father of all those girl who visited yesterday." The man calmly answers. "I believe they were delightful, right?"

"Yes they were." The old man steps aside and motions for him to enter, "Please, come in. My wife has been expecting you to come around sooner or later."

" _Wow… I guess my girls really have been coming around a lot…"_ Lynn Sr. nods, "Thank you." Before he steps into the home and approaches the foyer, only for an old woman to step out of the nearby office to stop him.

"Ahh Mr. Loud!" The old woman smiles as she walks over and places a soft hug around the man, "How have you been? Your wife and children came by yesterday and I was not sure if you were doing all right."

The man nods, "Don't worry Mrs. Sherman, I'm doing all right. I've just been pretty busy is all. You know, with work and stuff."

"Haha, I should know. I have been working here for a long time!" The old woman tries to give a hearty laugh, though it almost devolves into coughing. She then pats her chest for a moment, before looking up at the man, "So what brings you to the Royal Woods Orphanage today?"

"Well uhh, I just came because I, umm…" Lynn Sr. rubs the back his head, seemingly unsure of just how to explain what he is planning on doing, "And I saw how my daughters have been acting and I… Uhh… Wanna try to figure out what it's all about." He tries to motion with his hands to emphasize his point, not that it helps any. "Oh and I think at least two of my daughters have a crush on him…"

" _Of course, Lincoln has plenty of experience with women. Though I did not expect him to become a ladies man so soon though."_ Mrs. Sherman can't help, but chuckle at the revelation, "All right Mr. Loud, I think I understand what you came here for." She looks into his eyes, "You wish to spend some time with the boy as well, do you not?"

Lynn Sr. rubs the back of his head, "If that's possible." He then looks into the old woman's eyes, "But if it's a problem then I-"

Yet, Mrs. Sherman simply waves him off, "It is no problem, my dear. But why do you seem so nervous? Lincoln is a simple child after all."

For a moment, the man considers waving off his nervousness as just a side-effect of having to deal with so many girls at a time, but instead of shrugging her off, the man grabs his arm and starts rubbing it, "Well, I've never really dealt with young boys before. My wife works in a dentist's office so she has that under her belt. Meanwhile, I've just been working in the IT department of a random company. It doesn't help that all I've been hearing for the past few days is just how great he is."

"Oh?" Mrs. Sherman raises an eyebrow in interest, "What about your family? Surely having so many children to tend to has given you some experience in the matter."

The younger man shrugs, "I mean, yeah, some of my girls are pretty tomboyish." He softens his stance, "But even then, they're still young girls." He then rubs the back of his head, "As for my dad… well I haven't really had much of a relationship with him. To me, he was just… there, ya know." He can't help, but chuckle a bit at his next words, "My dad never left the sixties, so he was very open to letting me live without much of a structure, that's kinda why I was closer to my mom."

Nearby, Mr. Sherman remains silent, though even he knows that those who lived through the sixties never fully left it. He even has some of the famous hippie clothes buried in his closet near his old military uniform.

"Well then, how about something that both of you could do together." Mrs. Sherman rubs her chin, "Something that fathers and sons could do-"

"How about a fishing trip." Mr. Sherman speaks up, cutting his wife's train of thought off, as well as prompting the man to turn towards him, "If you wish to get to know the young man better, you could never go wrong with one. Also, I am sure Lincoln has already went on some."

The young man hesitates for a moment, _"This is my last chance to simply bury whatever I'm thinking of and just go home. Rita isn't gonna fault me for it probably…"_ And yet, with a soft sigh, he nods, "Sure, can you bring him in?"

The older man nods, "Very well." Before he turns, "Lincoln! Can you come here?"

A few moments pass after that, the orphanage foyer filling with the sounds of disappointed children, before the lone, white-haired boy emerges from the back door, a soft, determined expression on his face- no doubt he uses that to seem inviting to perspective parents.

"Hey, what's up?" Lincoln glances at Mr. Loud for a moment, the memory of their nighttime drive just mere days prior still echoing in his mind, "And hello Mr. Loud, what brings you here today?"

"Now Lincoln, Mr. Loud wants to take you fishing today." Mr. Sherman takes a knee and places his hands on the young boy's shoulders, "I know it's been a while, but how about you go and have some fun?"

Lincoln rubs the back of his head for a moment, his calm smile turning into an unsure frown, "I dunno… I mean, I've been going out a lot lately. I don't think it's fair that I keep leaving the kids alone and having Chandler and Cristina overwork themselves for my sake."

"Don't worry about it, Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman waves him off, "We may be getting old, but we still know how to take care of our children." She then walks over and runs her hand through his ashen-colored hair, "Now how about you go and have some fun?"

The young boy hesitates for a moment, the memory of the short conversation they had shared and they suspicious glares the man had given him rushing to the forefront of his mind. And yet, he takes a deep breath, _"Well, at least I know Mr. Loud isn't that bad. He means well. Though I can't help, but feel like he's a bit suspicious of me…"_ Then he nods at the orphanage director and her husband, "All right then, all right. I'll go." Though he thinks, _"I just hope he doesn't have anything else planned…"_

"Splendid." The old man stands up, before taking hold of his wife, "Have fun you two!"

"Haha." Lynn Sr. chuckles, before turning around, "We will!" And with that, he walks out of the home, with the young boy following.

"All right." The man hops in the family van and motions for the young boy to follow, "Come on in, we're burnin' daylight."

" _Just remember, you're not going to get in an accident like you did that day."_ The boy quickly reminds himself, before taking a deep breath and entering through the sliding door. His hands and legs tremble as he climbs into the middle seat in the front row of the van.

"Hey, uhh, Lincoln. You sure you wanna sit all the way back there?" The man looks back in confusion, before patting the passenger-side seat, "I mean, this seat's pretty nice too."

A familiar scene flashes through his mind, prompting him to shake his head in response, "No thanks, Mr. Loud. I'd rather not."

" _This kid's probably gonna be harder for me to break than it was for my family…"_ He takes a deep breath, "All right then." Before he puts the old van in drive and moves off to find the finishing spot his own father had set out just for them to use.

Moments pass after that, with neither the boy nor the man saying a single word to break the soft silence that unusually fills the Loud Family's infamous Vanzilla.

"So, uhh… how are you doing?" The man tries to break the silence, _"I wonder what's going on with him? One moment he was cheery, and the next he doesn't even wanna talk…"_

"I'm all right." The boy hastily answers, crossing his arms as he does so, _"Don't worry Lincoln. He's like Rita and the girls. He likes you and won't think any less if you say anything bad…"_ Slowly, the boy's eyes wander out the window, _"Just gotta be careful. He's driving perfectly fine."_

"So, how was your day?" The man continues, trying to elicit more of an answer from the boy. Though, much to his dismay, Lincoln chooses to respond, "It was fine."

" _This isn't getting me anywhere…"_ Lynn Sr. takes a deep breath in defeat, _"When I drive the girls to their things, they're usually so talkative… Heck, even when I'm not talking about their talents, they still have something to talk about!"_ He looks in the rear-view mirror, the young boy is now tensed up, with his body seemingly braced for impact, _"But with Lincoln… I might say the wrong thing."_ He then turns back to the clear road ahead, _"Rita mentioned that he was good at story telling..."_ He sighs once more, _"I wish Lucy or she were here… Then maybe he'd open up."_

"So, got anything you wanna talk about?" Lynn Sr. finally asks, his voice filling with hope.

" _Yes… but not in here."_ Lincoln shakes his head, not breaking the hard stance that he had taken, "Nope!"

Realizing trying to start a conversation would be fruitless at the moment, the man sighs once more and relents, leaving the rest of their short car ride to the silence of the clear summer road.

 _ **A Few Moments Later…**_

Eventually, the duo reaches their destination, a small lake hidden just outside the town of Royal Woods. The body of water is surrounded by a small forest, giving it a seemingly undisturbed look. However, the nearby store filled from wall to wall with snacks and fishing supplies of all kinds speaks to just how much people use the place.

"All right Lincoln." Lynn Sr. pulls the key from the ignition and hops out of the van, "We're here."

Lincoln wordlessly hops out, _"Great, we made it, safely."_ He loosens up, "Great!" his voice fills with relief.

The man looks down at the boy, "Come on, we've gotta get some supplies, we can't go fishing empty-handed after all."

The boy nods and smiles, "Heh, of course." While he can't help but think, _"Of course… though I remember we used to have our own…"_ He fights the memory trying to resurface, choosing instead to follow the man into the quaint store.

It takes Lynn Sr. and Lincoln a few minutes to get their supplies, but when they do, the man hoists the bag full on his back, while Lincoln wears a smallfishing cap and holds one of the two poles.

"All right then, here are your keys." The clerk hands a set of boat keys to Lynn with a smile, before he adds, "Heh, it's always nice to see a father and son speaking some time together on a lake." He chuckles, "Given all the doo-dads and technology kids are using today, there isn't enough time for some bonding time!"

" _Go correct him Lincoln. He's not your real dad! Heck, you don't even really know him!"_ Lincoln immediately thinks, raising his finger as he does so, "Actually we-"

Lynn places a hand over the boy's mouth, _"This would probably be a bit awkward if Lincoln told him he's just an orphan and I'm taking him out for the day."_ He chuckles, "Yeah, it's nice. Lincoln here doesn't do tech too much."

The clerk then rubs his chin, "Though, I'm surprised you don't look too alike…"

Without warning, both Lincoln and Lynn start to sweat.

Yet, not noticing the duo's building nervousness, the clerk simply waves them off, "Ehh, he just takes after his mother more, right?"

" _If Mr. Loud didn't want me to tell the truth, then this'll probably look bad if I don't play along."_ Lincoln smiles and nods, "Yep!" He then rubs the back of his head with a smile, "I get my hair from my mom, but dad always says I look just like he did as a kid!"

" _Good call, Lincoln."_ Lynn then secures the keys, before carefully spinning them around, "Anyways, thanks so much!"

The clerk waves him off, "No problem, have fun!"

Lincoln nods and smiles as well, "Thanks!" before the duo finally walks out of the store and heads over to their boat- a small, motorized dingy just large enough for the man, and if he had them, two young boys.

"Heh, you ready, Lincoln?" Lynn Sr. turns to the young boy.

" _No car, no problem."_ The boy smiles in response, _"Give him a chance…"_ The voice tries to cut in, _"No! Don't! He just wants to use you!"_ Though he forces it back once more. "Yep, lets go."

And with that, the duo gets in and heads off into the rather large lake.

 _ **A Few Moments Later…**_

"All right Lincoln…" Lynn Sr. holds up a constructed line, "This is how you set up a hook." He then tugs to check that it's secure.

Lincoln remains silent for a moment. _"It's been so long since you last did this. I doubt you'll ever be able to do something like it again!"_ He forces the thought back and smiles, "All right." He follows it up by following a certain set of instructions he had thought he had forgotten, before he holds up his completed line as well.

"Now Lincoln…" Lynn Sr. stands up in the boat, doing his best to maintain balance, "Casting the perfect line takes some hard work now." He looks down at the boy for a moment, before reeling back and throwing, allowing the hook and weight to hit the water. "And that's how it's done." He smiles at him, "Your turn."

"Ok." Lincoln quickly baits his line, before reeling back, another lesson quickly resurfaces, before he casts his line as well, allowing the hook, weight and bait to fly through the air for a moment, landing in the water just a bit further away from the boat. "Like that?"

Lynn Sr.'s eyes go wide, "H-how'd you know how to do that?!" He can't help but stare at the boy in awe, "Did Mr. Sherman teach you?"

" _Should I tell him?"_ Lincoln hesitates for a moment, _"I mean, it couldn't hurt… after all, Rita talking to me yesterday helped out…"_ He quickly shakes his head and focuses on the bobber, "Mr. Sherman's a bit too old for this stuff. My dad did a few years back."

For a moment, the man sits back in silence, before calmly turning to focus on his own line, _"Dangit Lynn, you just reminded an orphan boy of his family!"_ He mentally kicks himself, _"That's almost as reminding a woman how old she is!"_

"Heh, good times…" Lincoln whispers, a fond smile beginning to form on his face.

The man glances back at the boy for a moment, before taking a deep breath, _"But Lincoln hasn't been that talkative since I met him… and it's not much of a fishing trip if we don't talk."_ He swallows hard, _"He's probably thinking of his sister again. If they were as close as twins tend to be, then I wouldn't be surprised if that's the only thing of his mind."_ And so he asks, "So… your dad taught you that?"

"Yeah…" Lincoln answers with a nonchalant voice, _"Great, you idiot! He wants to know about your family now!"_ The voice tries to speak up again, yet Lincoln counters, _"Shut up!"_ Before he moves his eyes to focus on the bobber further, "I'd say more, but I don't wanna scare the fish away."

Lynn chuckles, "Come on Lincoln, it's gonna be an awfully long day if we stay quiet."

The boy hesitates for a moment, before relenting with, "Well… ok then." He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, before he speaks with a nostalgic tone, "Heh, I guess I'll start with telling you that, my father wasn't a big man."

"Oh?" Lynn Sr. raises an eyebrow in interest.

"I know, surprising right?" Lincoln can't help but chuckle, "In fact, my mom was taller than him!" His voice fills with joy, _"What are you doing Lincoln?! Why are you talking about them?!"_

"You mentioned taking after your mom, right?" The man asks, while he thinks, _"Heh, that was easier than I thought…"_

"Yeah." Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "My mom always said I was taller than he was at my age so thankfully, I'm probably gonna be taller than him." Then boy the grabs hold of the line once more, "But, what he lacked in height, he made up for in charm and presence." Fond memories begin to flow through Lincoln once more, "Heck if you didn't know better, he'd seem to be twice your height when he was really half it!"

The boy then looks down, "Now that I think of it, I always did get along better with my dad than my mom…"

"Wow…" Lynn Sr. responds, unsure of just how to answer the boy, "He sounded like he was a great man."

Lincoln nods, "Yeah. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't perfect." Lincoln motions towards his head, "He had a bit of a workaholic edge to him and he when he was around, he had a bad habit of being distant to us." The boy sighs, "But… he did his best, I can say that for sure."

"Heh. So he found the time to take you out here when he wasn't working, right?" The man's voice fills with understanding. After all, given when he lived, his own father tended to be distant as well.

"All the time." Lincoln continues, "Yeah, we may have had our differences, and he may not have been around all the time, but he made sure that at least twice a month, he would take us- my brother and I- out fishing." He looks up with a smile, taking in the bright blue sky above for a moment, "He loved to talk about the 'guy time' he would have with us."

" _Sometimes I wish I could have some 'guy time' with my girls."_ Lynn Sr.'s smile turns into a hopeful frown, though he doesn't allow Lincoln to notice, "It sounds like you've had a lot of fun on the lake with your family."

The boy nods, "Yeah. We did it a lot when… they were still around." His joy slowly turns to sadness for a quick, moment, before Lincoln quickly perks back up, "Heh, I remember this one time, we took Liberty, my sister, along for the ride…"

"Oh? And what happened?" The man regains his smile, seemingly already knowing what happened, _"If Liberty was anything like my daughters, I know how this played out."_

"She hated it!" He laughs, his voice filling with a soft chuckle, "She came along cause we said she wouldn't like it because she was a girl and wanted to prove us wrong!" He wipes one of the tears forming under his eyes, "When she came home she told us that she never wanted to go on a fishing trip ever again!"

"Haha! That's almost as funny as the time my sister, Ruth, tried to understand my dad and I!" Lynn laughs, prompting a curious Lincoln to ask, "Oh? What happened?"

"I guess it's my turn to share." The man smiles and looks back at the boy, before quickly refocusing his gaze on the line, "While he did give me all the freedom a boy my age could hope for, he would always find some time to take me out on the lake and set up a small hammock for himself and me." He motions with his hand, "So while other fathers and sons would be fishing, my dad and I would be sleeping the day away on a boat." He calms his voice down, giving it a matter-o-factly tone, "It's actually really relaxing… especially to be away from your wife."

Lincoln smiles and nods, "I should know. Heh."

"We did fish a few times though." The man continues, "He even told me all about his favorite 'secret finishing spots'." He nudges the boy sitting behind him, "Wanna know the secret behind them?"

With his curiosity peaking, the boy answers, "Sure, Mr. Loud, tell me about it."

It takes a moment for Lynn to fight the chuckle trying to escape his voice, but when he does, he goes, "The secret behind a secret fishing spot is, if you think that only you know about a legendary spot where you're guaranteed to find more fish in the water, then you need to have your head looked at!" He looks back, "And that's not even mentioning the times he taught me how to tell a good, 'big fish' story."

And despite what many would do, Lincoln can't help, but find himself laughing at the revelation, "Haha! That was a good one!" He then looks back at the bobber once more. The small plastic balls rocking ever so slightly in the water, "Heh, it reminds me of the time I almost caught a huge fish."

"Oh?" Now it is Lynn Sr.'s turn for his curiosity to peak, "Tell me about it."

"Heh, I snagged it while we were all fishing." The boy shakes his head with a smile, "But it was kinda too strong for me. So Max and my dad came behind to help me reel it in."

"And what happened?" Lynn Sr. can't help, but ask, his eyes now turning to the boy.

Lincoln responds by awkwardly rubbing the back of his head with a smile and closed eyes, "Well when we pulled it out of the water, it turned out to be an old muddy boot!" He shakes his head nostalgically, "My dad just couldn't waste the chance to make a joke. So he said 'We're havin' Fillet of Sole when we get home'!"

Both boys laugh with that. No doubt they both had been expecting a dad joke of that caliber to come eventually. After that, they go on about their lives, with Lincoln talking about the other orphans and how things had changed over the years with him and his twin helping out the best they could, while the man goes on about his own life; how he had met his wife and began a family with her.

"Heh, sounds like you had a great family." The man looks up into the wild blue yonder above, the sky now turning into a bright mix of purples oranges and reds. "And pretty great kids now."

"Yeah." Lincoln smiles, more memories flooding his mind. And yet, he doesn't frown in longing. Rather, he tears up just a bit, _"Yeah, they were my family… but… I think I might've found a new one…"_

"You know… this has been fun." Lynn Sr. goes, "It's a shame we haven't been able to catch anything…"

Yet, his companion shrugs, "My dad always told me, men never really go on fishing trips to catch-" Suddenly, Lincoln's line gets pulled under the water, with the boy being forced to fight it, "What the?! This is one tough boot!" He stands up and adjusts his stance to hold his own against the force.

"I don't think that's a boot!" The man climbs to his feet as well.

With that, Lincoln finds his following the line, where he can see a shadowy creature lurking just below the surface. His heart races with that, "I-I got a bite!" With a skill only found after years of practice, Lincoln begins to reel in the beast. _"Gotta give it slack, gotta reel it in!"_ The voice tries to speak up once more, _"You can't do it! And no one is gonna-"_

"I got ya! We can't give up!"Lynn Sr. throws his arms around the boy, making sure to grab hold of the handle and place his hand over the reel, "Now let's pull this baby in!"

" _Th-This is how Max and dad did it too…"_ His heart racing, Lincoln follows the man's order and pulls back, bringing the line ever so closer. He releases and repeats- each cycle bringing the creature closer and closer to the duo's boat.

Then, when it swims just below the craft, Lynn Sr. shouts, "On three, we pull!"

Suddenly, the soft hands he holds onto his are replaced by a familiar set, while the young boy looks up at his companion. Instead of the slightly balding man that had come with him, he now has a full head of soft, blonde hair, while his hands grow, overtaking the young boy's.

It's like he's back to the day he caught a boot.

"D-dad?" Lincoln speaks with a meek voice; no doubt fear had found a way to enter his body.

"Come on Lincoln!" The man shouts, staring at the boy with determination filling his eyes, "Start us off! This isn't gonna hold forever!"

The young boy steels his gaze and nods, before turning back towards the line, "One!"

"Two!" The man shouts in reply, his hands softening once more into those of his companion.

"Three!" The duo shouts in unison, before pulling back, forcing the fish from its watery home and into the crook of the boat.

For a moment after that, the fish flops upon the deck, desperate to return to its life-giving liquid. And yet, it is simply too far out to return. Meanwhile, just a few feet away, the two young men remain silent, stunned by what had just occurred.

"I-we did it! We caught a catfish!" Lincoln flares his arms in excitement!

"Heh, you caught it. I just helped." Lynn Sr. grabs the flopping fish for a moment, before handing it to Lincoln, "Now hold on tight will ya? Remember, every 'big fish' story that actually happened needs proof!"

The boy's eyes go wide as he takes hold of the fish, _"Wow… this is amazing!"_ Then, without missing a beat Lynn Sr. pulls him over so that Lincoln is standing in front of him, with the fish between them. A flash radiates from the man's phone after that.

Quickly, he takes a look at his work, before smiling, "Heh great pic, saving it to the cloud."

"The cloud?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow.

"It's been sent for safe-keeping. You wouldn't believe how common it is to forget to do that." The man chuckles, before sitting down, "Now how about we head back to shore?"

Lincoln looks up, towards the setting sun, "Wow, it's gotten late already?!"

"Time flies when you're having fun." The man chuckles, before grabbing hold of the motor and pulling, prompting it to move forward. And within moments, they're back on shore, with Lincoln carrying the fish.

"So Lincoln, what are you gonna do with it?" Lynn Sr. asks, "I would've suggested you throw it back, but this lake doesn't do catch and release."

Lincoln rubs his chin for a moment, "Hmm, well since this isn't a family comedy and since this fish is so butt ugly…" A sinister smile forms on the boy's face, "I'm gonna cook it up and feed it to the kids! They're gonna love it!"

"Heh, they eat catfish?" The man raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Sure." The boy shrugs, "It's just gotta be breaded and on a stick." He rubs his chin, "Hmm… should I… nah." He waves the thought off.

"What?" The man tilts his head as they walk back into the shop.

"I was thinking of having it prepared so we wouldn't have to do it when we get home." He answers with a shrug, "But you know what, I prefer to cook it all myself and stuff."

"Oh, you love cookin'?" Lynn Sr.'s interest peaks for a moment, before a soft smile forms on his face.

Lincoln nods, "Yeah! I help Mrs. Sherman cook all the meals after all!"

"Heh, I'm impressed." The man continues, "Most children your age wouldn't even go near a fish like this, let alone cook it!"

"Well, I'm a bit queasy around blood and guts." He clarifies, "But fish is fine. My dad once prepared one in front of us, before cooking it over a fire."

"Heh, you make it sound like your dad was a real outdoorsman." The man smiles and runs the young boy's hair.

"He wasn't. He was just a camper." Lincoln can't help, but clarify with a smile.

And with that, Lynn Sr. smiles as well. Afterwards, they go and return their borrowed supplies and return to the family van, before driving off once more.

Though this time, Lincoln sits in the passenger-side seat.

"Heh, so did you have fun today, Lincoln?" The man can't help, but move his eyes to face the boy, careful not to remove his attention from the road as he does so.

Lincoln leans on the window, a soft smile taking the place of the frown the he once held. His body is loose surprisingly enough, with the boy taking in the beautiful sunset nearby, "Heh, I'll admit, it was awesome. Thanks for taking me, Mr. Loud."

"Call me Lynn Sr. or Lynn if my daughter isn't around." The man chuckles.

"Ok… Lynn." The boy chuckles slightly.

Soft silence once more takes hold over the duo, their exhaustion and joy just barely enough to keep their conversation going on. And once more, Lynn Sr. is the one to break the silence, "So Lincoln, you mentioned your sister… what was she like with your father?"

"Heh, Liberty?" Lincoln sits up straight and turns to the man, "Well I don't really remember how she was with our dad, but from what I can remember, she definitely wasn't a daddy's girl."

"Oh?" The man jumps up a little in surprise, "Why's that?"

Lincoln laughs, "Haha! It's because our big sister already was a daddy's girl! He already knew all the tricks she could pull on him!" He looks away and looks out the window once more, "Yeah, my dad and little sis had their moments and loved each other- we all did!" He smiles nostalgically, "But they didn't have the sappy father-daughter bond you see on TV."

For a moment, the man remains silent, unsure of just how to respond to revelation. Of course, it is true that he is closer to some of his daughters rather than others, but that doesn't mean he loves them any less! So in response, the young father smiles, "I think I can relate. Heh… though surprisingly enough, the only daddy's girl I have among my daughters is Lola."

"No telling." The boy waves him off, "I dealt with her for one day and I could tell she was."

"Oh?" The man looks on in interest. "Really? How?"

He begins to motion with his hands, "In the orphanage, if you don't know how to pick up the signs of a spoiled child, then they're gonna have a tough time getting adopted. That's why when she started a fight, I made sure to put her in the corner."

"Wow…" The man turns back to the road, "So that's why you did that and I guess she was so surprised that she just didn't know how to respond. Heh, you're immune to the act, huh?"

Lincoln shrugs, "Well, I do have to take care of all the orphans. Being able to ignore their begging eyes and tantrums helps out."

"Well, you know I was a bit annoyed you made her so scared before, right?" The man glances at the boy.

"I know it scares them at first. But sometimes, to make sure that they get adopted in the end, it's worth the risk." Lincoln calmly answers.

" _Heh… I guess I really was wrong about this boy…"_ The man smiles, "Thanks for that. I always did have trouble with her."

"No problem." Lincoln smiles in response, before he looks out the nearby window. For a moment, he considers thinking back to a time where he still had his own father to watch out for him. Maybe even come up with one of the many times he had taken him camping.

And yet, now that he thinks about it, nothing really stands out for once. So instead, he simply opts to smile and remember all those times, _"Heh, I guess Lynn Sr. was nicer than I made him out to be…"_

As much as the man wants to break the silence once more, he finds himself unable to, his soft smile speaking for his thoughts louder than any words could possibly describe. _"I see where my family was coming from."_

In the silence, the radio sings, _**"Even though the summer's ending and real life seems so condescending, we'll grow together, you and I, we'll face tomorrow side-by-side, just you and me and the love of family…"**_

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

After their short drive back to the orphanage, Lynn Sr. hops out of the van, with Lincoln following soon after, "Welp, welcome home."

"Thanks Lynn." The young boy goes with a smile, before the duo heads up to the front door and quickly walks inside.

"Anyways." The boy goes, "I'm gonna get this ready for dinner!" before walking into the kitchen, fish in hand and leaving to man alone in the foyer.

"Welcome back." Mr. Sherman walks in, the old man sporting an uncharacteristic smile, "How was your day with the boy?"

"With Lincoln?" Lynn Sr. smiles, "I loved it. He's a pretty nice kid when you get to know him."

"I know." He turns and simply watches the boy in the kitchen, the young man carefully grabbing the tools he would need to prepare dinner for the children, "My wife and I treat each and every child that comes into our home as our own, but after fifty years of running this orphanage, I believe I can safely say, we will remember Lincoln as the son we wish we could have had."

For a moment, the man remains silent, _"Yeah… and he's like the son Rita and I wish we could have too…"_

The older man simply continues, knowing exactly what the thought-filled Look Lynn Sr. now sports means, "Mr. Loud, my wife and I have heard Lincoln talk about taking over the orphanage once we retire, but we do not want him to. We have known where his talents lie for a log time now and we believe he will be happier when he leaves this place behind." He looks into the younger man's eyes, "Though, I doubt anyone would mind if he still visited from time to time to tell the children his stories. After all, they might have trouble sleeping or riot without them!"

" _Is he trying to imply what I think he is?"_ Unsure of just how to respond, Lynn Sr. simple shrugs, "So what are you planning to do?"

"Before we retire, we are planning on having each orphan finally adopted." The old man speaks with relief filling his voice, "Though if that is not possible, we may be forced to send orphans off to live in group homes or find someone to take over until they are…"

The man rubs his chin, "Well, my wife might take you up on the latter. I mean she does like taking care of children." He laughs, "And it might curb our want to have more children for just a bit longer."

"That would be nice." The old man stands up straight, "But for now, I believe you have much to think about." Finally, his voice fills with an unexpected solemnity, "Please Mr. Loud, my wife is not always blunt about her feelings on these issues, but I am. And I ask that if you wish to become close to Lincoln as well, please do not keep him waiting, especially after what I have seen from your family. I thank you for everything you have done."

" _He wants me to adopt him…"_ Lynn Sr. nods in understanding, "Thank you for letting me spend time with him."

"It was no issue." The old man responds, "Please, I beg of you to think about it."

"I will." After that, the man turns around and simply steps out of the orphanage.

 _ **Later…**_

"Ahh, home at last!" The young father declares as he opens the door to his home.

"Oh, hey Lynn, welcome home dear." Rita steps out of the dining room, "We didn't know where you were or when you were coming home, so I decided to buy pizza for us all."

The man smiles, "No problem Rita, I'm in the mood for some myself after all."

"So, where were you?" The woman tilts her head in curiosity.

"I was out fishing with friends." He holds his hands out to emphasize the size, "He caught a fish this big!"

"Haha! Wow!" Rita smiles, "Did you enjoy?"

Lynn hugs his wife and plants a soft kiss on her cheek, "Of course dear, it was fun." He drops his phone on the wireless charger, "Anyways my phone's now dead, I took so many photos."

"Well then, why don't you show me them later?" The woman asks.

" _I probably will. We've got some stuff to talk about after all…"_ The man immediately thinks with a smile, "Sure, Rita, but first I've gotta go make sure our daughters left me some pizza. I'm starving!" And with that, he rushes into the dinning room.

Rita chuckles, before walking over to the phone and turning it on. _"Now lets see who he hanged out with…"_

And as soon as the phone fishes turning on, the image of Lincoln holding the fish, with Lynn Sr. standing behind him comes into view.

20-8-5-18-5 1-18-5 6-5-23 2-15-14-4-19 1-19 16-21-18-5 1-19 20-8-1-20 2-5-20-23-5-5-14 1 6-1-20-8-5-18 1-14-4 8-9-19… "19-15-14". 9 23-15-14-4-5-18 9-6 20-8-5-25'18-5 7-15-14-14-1 3-1-20-3-8 13-1-7-9-11-1-18-16 14-5-24-20!

 **A/N Ahh don't you love it when, despite the chaos the Loud Family brings, some characters are able to just sit down and have a soft heart-to-heart? Anyways, I thank Wolvenstrom for helping me out! If it wasn't for his work, I wouldn't have been able to finish this as early as I have! Anyways, next chapter involves the return of someone very familiar to Lincoln in canon, I wonder if you guys can guess who it is!**

 **Also, more good news! I have finally finished the first draft to the Bun Bun Story! From what I've planned (and made) it's going to be 10 chapters long and will be titled "Legacy Of The Unknown"!**

 **Song referenced: "A Summer In The Stars" By Forest Rain. Link: (Youtube) v=FhTEu3W39Gw**

 **Guest Replies (C12 & C13)**

 **Guest (C12): Thanks! I'm glad you noticed!**

 **Guest (C13): I think this chapter actively tries to debunk that line of thought.**


	15. Finding An Orphan

**A/N The Sorcery continues! Man, I can't believe some people guessed who would appear correctly! Heh, anyways, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Fifteen: Finding An Orphan

"Haha!" Lincoln's laughter echoes through the orphanage halls with his cheerful voice following soon after, "So after Mr. Loud and I decided to try fishing out, we went in his car and drove to the lake!" He holds his arms out for emphasis "The thing was huge!"

"Like the ocean?!" Berry naïvely flares his arms in excitement. "Huh, Lincoln?! Was it as big as the ocean?!"

" _I always love how these kids never fail to have fun while I tell them stories."_ Lincoln chuckles and calms himself down, choosing instead to lean back, against the reading chair, "It wasn't as big as the ocean you guys, but from what I've seen, it was pretty big."

"What happened next?!" Alexis pushes two of the boys aside in order to get a better view of their 'older brother'.

Yet, Lincoln places his hands in front of him, motioning for the children to relax, "Calm down guys, cam down and I'll tell you!" He smiles and watches the young orphans comply.

And so, he holds up his notebook once more, "Heh, well after that we went out on a boat and just sat in the lake for a few minutes." He smiles, _"Man, those few hours really felt like only a few minutes… I can't believe it myself…"_

The young orphans watch intently as Lincoln motions with his hands, painting a picture of the scene in the air, "Then, out of nowhere, my fishing rod started to shake like crazy!" He loosens his body, "I didn't even think I'd be able to pull in the catch…"

"So what happened, Lincy?!" Sally cheerfully cuts in. The rest of the orphans simply look on in awe, unsure of just how to take the scene in.

Lincoln smiles in response, "Well, Lynn Sr. dropped his line and grabbed onto me. And together, we were able to pull the fish into our boat!" He then scribbles something down, before turning it to face the children, revealing it to be a drawing of him holding the fish, "The darn thing was huge! You just had to have seen it!"

"So where is it now, Linc?" Maurice asks, "Did you throw it back, like they do in the movies?"

"Nope!" The boy's voice fills with pride, "Since the lake didn't have catch and release, Mr. Loud let me take the fish home with me!" He then closes the book and hops to his feet, "As for what I did with it, well, guess what! That's why we had fish tonight!"

Suddenly, the young children's eyes go wide in shock. The delicious fish Lincoln had prepared for them mere hours prior was not just a cheap fish Lincoln had been able to "requisition" from one of their neighbors, but had been the memento Lincoln had received from the father of the young women who had been visiting them!

"Y-you really gave it to us?" Stacy stammers, while the rest of the orphans choose to look on in shock, unsure of just how to respond to the revelation.

"Yeah." Lincoln simply runs his hand through her hair with a smile, "Don't worry guys, I didn't mind. That fish was delicious, right?" Though he can't help but think, _"That's all that's important."_

Immediately, the eight young orphans crowd around the young boy, doling their best to pull him into a claustrophobic hug- though given his size compared to theirs, well, it turns into more of a pile around him. "Yep!"

" _That's good. It'll be one of the better things they're gonna have for a long time."_ Lincoln mentally sighs, before breaking free of the orphan's shared embrace and hopping back on the story-reading chair. "Anyways guys, let me finish, ok?"

"Ok!" They cheerfully go in unison, before sitting back down in front of the boy.

"Afterwards, we grabbed the fish and tied it up." The boy chuckles, "You wouldn't believe how hard it tried to break free of the ropes we tired it with." He puts on a smug expression and leans back once more, "All in all, it was a fun trip." Though, he can't help but think, _"He reminded me of my father too…"_

"That sounded fun, Lincoln!" Berry cheers, before yawning, "Can you take us fishing one day?"

" _I don't think so."_ For a moment, Lincoln hesitates, before taking a deep breath and rubbing his head, "Maybe Berry, maybe…" while he thinks, _"Though something like that is a father-son thing…"_ After that, Lincoln hops to his feet once more, *Yawn* "Anyways kids, that's today's story."

"Aww." The orphans go in disappointment.

"Don't worry though, I'll tell you another one tomorrow, ok?" He smiles, before turning towards the old woman waiting in the foyer.

"All right, young ones, time for bed!" Mrs. Sherman declares, before walking over and motioning for the young children to head upstairs.

For a moment, the young children consider groaning in unison, though even they can tell that their exhaustion is more than enough to convince them to go, much to the old woman's relief.

" _Heh wow, that's the first time I've seen them quietly go upstairs in a long time."_ The boy quickly scribbles something else down in the notebook, before closing it and tucking the pad under his arm, "All right Ms. Sherman, I guess I'll-"

"How was your day, Lincoln." The woman cuts him off with a smile, "I'm sure it was enjoyable, I hope of course."

Lincoln shrugs with his free arm, "I can't complain, it was pretty fun and stuff." His voice fills with cheer, "I caught our dinner after all."

"That was a nice catfish." The woman chuckles, before running her hand thorugh Lincoln's soft, white hair, "Did you do anything else with Mr. Loud?"

" _Besides go fishing and talk… nothing really. I still can't believe that so much happened in so little time, it's so… amazing now that I think of it…"_ The boy shakes his head, "Nothing else really. All we did was drive for a bit and go fishing on the lake… though we did talk about some stuff, ya know?"

The old woman raises an eyebrow in interest, "Oh? Can you tell me?"

He considers telling her for a moment, though he decides to shake his head in response, "I'm sorry Ms. Sherman, but I think something like that should stay between a father and a son… or as close as I am to one went it comes to Mr. Loud." He can't help, but chuckle at the idea, "I still can't believe he has ten daughters and not a single son."

"Haha." Mrs. Sherman laughs, "What can I say, sometimes people just have a strange type of luck." She then squats down to his height, "I'm glad you have had fun. Though, I wish you had more to tell. The children seemed to want more than what you did."

"Well… I don't really think anymore should've happened. After all, I think Lynn Sr. likes me now… or something." He rubs his arm, _"He even got me to talk abut Liberty and Max again…"_

The old woman smiles, "That is good, Lincoln. That is good, very, very good." She pulls him into a soft hug, _"He is going to be adopted soon. I can just feel it."_ A lone tear begins to flow down her cheek.

"Heh, don't worry Ms. Sherman, I'm not gonna be goin' away any time soon!" The young boy reassures, "After all, someone's gotta take care these kids!"

She let go of him with that, before standing up straight, though making sure to hold onto her cane for support, "About that, I believe Cristina and Chandler have decided to take your job for the time being. You know, so you are able to enjoy the time you spend with the Louds."

Lincoln immediately raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "But I don't think they know how to take care of them! Aren't the kids gonna have trouble sleeping and stuff?"

The director holds up her free hand, motioning for the boy to stop, "Just give them this chance, please Lincoln. From what I have seen, they have been doing a phenomenal job taking care of this place while you have been out enjoying your time with the Loud Family."

He starts to mentally kick himself, _"Dangit! I knew this was gonna start happening sooner or later! Everyone's noticed that I've started spending too much time with the Louds and now they think they're gonna take me away! But I know, they're not, I just can't let them!"_ He takes a deep breath, "But Ms. Sherman, with all due respect to them, they've never… well, taken care of the kids before…"

"Do not worry about it." The old woman waves him off, "I am sure they will do a fine job. After all, they have had a chance to learn from the best." She then turns around and checks the time. Ten minutes had past since she had decided to talk to Lincoln about his day- more than enough time for a skilled person to put the young children to sleep, though not enough time for the untrained duo of Cristina and Chandler, _"Lets see just how much they have learned."_

Lincoln remains silent, unsure of just how to argue away the old woman's point.

And so she continues, "Now how about you go upstairs to check on them? I am sure that Cristina and Chandler have had enough time to put them all to bed."

"All right." The boy nods and rushes passed the old orphanage director, his mind and heart racing with concern for his young orphans. And yet, much to his surprise, the second floor bedrooms are quiet. It is as if the children had managed to put themselves to sleep without a hassle. _"Wow… I can't believe they managed to pull it off…"_

"Ugh." A groan emanates from a familiar room, before Chandler and Cristina step out, only to fall to the floor in exhaustion.

" _Well I'll be honest, I'm not surprised."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, before walking over to the duo, "So, looks like you've managed to pull my job off for me."

For a moment, the two children remain silent, unsure of just how to answer the white-haired boy. And so he continues, "Heh, I'm gonna be honest, I thought only Liberty and I knew how to put everyone to sleep."

"Hah, hah…" Cristina pants, before forcing herself to her feet, "Hah, well I take good notes ya know. Hah…"

"Yeah, and she's good at bossing other people around too." Chandler forces himself up as well, though he makes sure to stretch as she does so.

" _They're taking my jobs… why though? I'm not leaving any time soon…"_ Lincoln thinks in worry, before shaking his head, "So, is everyone asleep now?"

Chandler shakes his head, "Nope, Stacy refuses to go to sleep without you around to tell her a bedtime story."

" _Of course."_ Lincoln can't help but chuckle, "Well then, how about you two go to bed, I'll put her to sleep, all right?"

The duo looks at each other for a quick moment, before shrugging in unison, "All right Lincoln, just make sure not to wake anyone else up."

Lincoln nods, "Since when have I done that?" And with that, the two children break away and head into their rooms, leaving the boy alone to enter Stacy's. _"All right then, let's get to work."_ He takes a deep breath, before pushing his way inside.

The room hasn't changed in the previous days besides, of course, there now only being two occupants in the room rather than three, given the fact that space had opened up since the adoption fair.

"Lincy!" Stacy cheers, before hopping out of her bed, running up to the boy, and throwing her arms around his waist.

"Haha!" Lincoln laughs, "I missed you too Stacy! I missed you too!" He pats her on the head.

The young girl looks up at the boy with a begging Gaze, "I thought Chandly and Cristina were gonna put me to sleep! But I didn't want them too!"

"How come?" The boy raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Because you're the one who always puts me to bed!" Stacy continues, fear filling her voice, "I don't know what I would do without you around…"

" _This is why I have to stay…"_ He reminds himself, before crouching down to her height, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna leave you, I promise, ok?" He looks into her eyes and sees a begging hope in them, "Now how about you get in bed, and I'll read you a story?"

Stacy meekly nods, "Ok Linky!" Before she turns and rushes into her bed, making sure that Lincoln stays nearby to help her out.

And with that, Lincoln takes a deep breath, _"This is why I have to stay, this is why I have to stay."_ Before he pulls out his notebook and starts to read.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

" _Heh good food."_ Lynn Sr. chuckles, as he walks into his room, _"Now that I've eaten, I think it's about time I-"_ Yet, before he can finish the thought, he finds his wife, standing in front of their shared room door, with his phone in her hands. "Hi honey, what's going on?"

"Oh nothing Lynn." She nonchalantly answers, before tapping away at the phone, "So tell me, what did you do today?"

"I went fishing." The man quickly responds, while thinking, _"Dangit! I didn't want her to find out yet! Now she's gonna guilt trip me into trying to adopt him!"_

The woman looks up from the device with a devious smirk on her face, "Oh really now, heh." She chuckles, "Well then I guess Lincoln's suddenly one of your friends now, huh?"

"I guess there's no hiding it now, huh?" Lynn Sr. rubs the back of his head.

Rita nods, "Course not, you can't hide stuff from your wife that easily." She then sits on the bed and motions for him to sit next to her, which he complies, "All right Lynn, spill."

The man takes a deep breath, "Rita, ever since that boy walked through the door, you and the girls have been acting… strangely. You've spent so much time and attention on him that I just had to find out what was going on." He then looks her in the eyes, "So, yesterday, I called in sick and decided to take the boy out on a trip."

"And so, you decided to go fishing with him?" Rita tilts her head in curiosity.

"It was Mr. Sherman's idea." The man shrugs.

"Ok… I get that." She then shows him the photo, "And I guess it's safe to assume that's your catch, huh?"

Lynn Sr. nods, "Yeah. Lincoln got a pretty big fish." He awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "Meanwhile, I didn't catch anything."

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I ordered pizza for us." The woman takes a deep breath, before handing the phone back to the man.

"Haha, yeah…" The man lets his voice trail off with that.

A moment of silence overtakes the duo with that, with neither knowing just how to Segway into the conversation that they both know is about to come.

And so, Rita breaks the silence with, "All right Lynn… what do you think about us adopting Lincoln?"

" _I still don't know…"_ He takes a deep breath in response, "Rita… I'll admit, spending some time together, he's left a good impression on me too…" He looks up, into his wife's eyes, "But I think I still need some more time to think this through ok?"

The woman takes a deep breath, "Don't worry, I understand." She hops to her feet, "I'll let you think a bit, ok?" She gives him an understanding smile, before walking out their room door, "Just remember, the girls really seem to like having him around. It's like he's the brother they never had…"

" _Maybe he is…"_ The man takes a deep breath, before slowly closing the room door, giving him his own space to think in the chaos that is his home. Wordlessly, he throws himself on the bed and simply stares at the ceiling, allowing the thoughts he had long-since buried to come to the forefront of his mind.

" _Ever since that boy came things have been getting better around here…"_ Those words echo, _"The girls have finally started acting like a family and they've been treating him like their brother…"_

He takes a deep breath and continues his line of thought, _"Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take the boy in, especially after everything I've seen him do…"_

That's when his eyes go wide in shock, the realization finally dawning on the man. He grabs his head and groans, "Dangit!" before letting his arms go limp at his sides, _"This whole time, I've been telling everyone just how irresponsible it would be for us to adopt Lincoln, let alone bond with him. And here I am, thinking of adopting with him because I let myself bond with him!"_ He mentally kicks himself, _"We barely have the cash to take care of another child, let alone an orphan boy like him!"_

He then sits up and turns to a picture of him and Rita standing in front of their home, with an infant Lori resting in the woman's arms, _"When I first met Rita, we were planning on having a big family, only five kids. Then five became six and seven, all the way until ten. This home was only designed to comfortably house five children and we're cramming ten into the bedrooms. If we adopted Lincoln, then where would he even sleep?!"_

A growing ache builds in the man's head, _"Why am I even considering this?! I've thought about every detail, seen every issue with the mere premise and yet, I'm still considering it?! What's going on with me?!"_ He grabs his head, before falling back. _"I haven't even taken into account just how much it'd cost annually to take care of another mouth! The boy would strain our already stressed budget to the point that we might have to have the children take jobs!"_

More time passes, as the man's mind begins to cloud up with thoughts once more. Though, eventually the storm is able to de down, allowing him to continue thinking, _"And that's not even mentioning how the girls would behave around him. According to Rita, at least two of the girls currently have crushes on him! How are they going to react when we tell them that they're gonna have to treat him as their brother and nothing more? How awkward is that gonna be?!"_

He then sighs, _"None of this is fair to anyone. Not to Lincoln, the Shermans, those orphans that rely on him so much, to my wife, my daughters or even me! In the end, it doesn't matter if I say yay or nay, someone is going to end up suffering!"_ He sighs and lets his body go limp, _"Because as far as the girls and the orphans are concerned, Lincoln is a part of both their families…"_

"What am I gonna do?" The moans, before pausing to think, _"What can I do to prove to myself and to everyone else that adopting Lincoln is going to be a good idea? It has to be something that I can do with minimal preparations and can showcase what he's good at…"_ Suddenly, his eyes go wide, while a soft smile forms on his face, _"I know what to do."_ He then turns in his bed and closes his eyes, _"Though… I need to think of the details still…"_

 _ **The Next Day…**_

*Yawn* Lincoln goes as he pulls himself up from his slumber, _"Another day, another job to do to keep this place in shape and guarantee those kids are gonna be adopted."_ Slowly, he rubs his the dust from his eyes while turning out of his bed.

With that done, he takes a deep breath, _"All right, here we go."_ Before he places his hand on his nightstand, expecting to feel a familiar piece of paper waiting for him… only to find the space would occupy empty. _"What the?"_ He raises his eyebrow in confusion, before hopping to his feet, _"I wonder where the chore sheet is…"_ He shrugs, _"I'm sure that this is nothing."_ He shakes his head, "Welp, let me head downstairs, I'm sure that the kids are just dying for me to cook their breakfast!"

Quickly, he readies himself for the day- in the clothes Leni had bought him, no less- before he heads downstairs. Now, on a typical day, he would expect this to be as uneventful as ever. After all- since he did a lot of the cooking, while Mrs. Sherman simply supervised him, he would be there creating the soft aroma that would fill the home.

And yet, on this day, that isn't the case.

As soon as Lincoln reaches the bottom of the stairs, his nose is attacked by the soft smells of someone trying to cook bacon and eggs in the orphanage kitchen- given his experience on the matter, he could tell they are having a tough time. _"I wonder who's cooking..."_ The boy wastes no time turning and entering the room with that, only to find Cristina at the stove, with Mrs. Sherman watching over her.

"Come on Cristina, this is the fifth time!" The old woman gazes upon the child's work. A small, light-beige liquid pie with fresh bacon and an egg yoke next to it.

"I'm doing my best!" Cristina counters, frustration filling her voice, before she places a cover on top of the pan, "Ok, I've set it all up, now I put the flame on and…" She quickly ignites to fire, readying the dish to cook.

" _What are they doing?"_ Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity, before stepping back, hiding behind a nearby wall as he does so, _"Usually I'm the one helping Ms. Sherman cook… though now that I think of it, I've never seen Cristina even want to learn how!"_

A moment passes after that, before the director hands a small spatula over to the young girl, "All right dear, I think they've sat on there for long enough. Remove the cover."

"Ok…" The young redhead takes a deep breath, before grabbing hold of the pot top and pulling back, removing the cover from the pan.

Unlike how one would expect to prepare a meal such as it, Cristina's bacon and eggs are burnt to a crisp, much to the young girl's dismay, "Dangit! I'm just not good at this!"

For a moment, the old woman remains silent, _"I know you can do this. You're just not focusing well enough!"_ before she takes a deep breath and places an understanding hand on the young girl's shoulder, "Do not worry Cristina, no one is a good cook from the moment they start. It takes a lot of practice to get as good as Lincoln and Liberty have." She then motions towards the fire, "You made the flame too hot, they cooked too quickly…"

The young girl looks at her work in disappointment. "I'll never make something they'll want to eat…"

In response, Mrs. Sherman remains silent, choosing instead to simply hold onto her, filling the young girl with a comforting heat, "Don't worry, you just need some practice before you can make something great…"

" _Is she… trying to cook breakfast for us?"_ Lincoln can't help, but let his mind wander for a short moment, imagining the possibilities that Cristina cooking could bring… only to shake his head, _"Nah, she's just curious. I'm sure that as soon they finish this session, they'll call me to cook."_

And yet, after more time passes with Lincoln watching them… as well as more failed attempts from Cristina, the duo shows no sign of giving up, much to the young boy's dismay.

With that, he takes a deep breath, _"I am needed around here. I am needed around here."_ Before he steps into the kitchen and greets, "Uhh, hey guys?" he tilts his head in confusion, "Uhh… what's goin' on around here?"

Immediately, the duo turns to the young boy. "Ahh Lincoln, you're awake!" The director turns to the boy with a smile, "We were just working on cooking breakfast!"

The boy tilts his head in confusion, "Uhh… isn't that my job?"

"Of course, but Cristina here was free this morning and wished to learn." She smiles at the boy, "So I decided to have her cook breakfast while you take the day off."

" _But, why?"_ Lincoln narrows his eyes at the young girl for a quick moment, before relenting- choosing instead to tilt his head in the opposite direction.

"Don't worry Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman walks over to the boy and places a soft hand on his shoulder, "You know what, how about this, since Cristina is cooking breakfast today, how about you cook breakfast tomorrow?"

The boy hesitates on the offer for a moment, before simply shrugging in response, "All right then." Though he can't help, but think, _"This isn't gonna turn out well. They're gonna realize how much the kids like my cooking…"_ He then turns around and rubs his chin, "I guess I'll just… uhh, get to some of the chores. How about getting the kids dressed for the day? "

"Oh, don't worry about that, Lincoln." Cristina waves him off, before walking over to the dining table and grabbing her clipboard, "Chandler and Mr. Sherman have that covered."

Immediately, turns back to face the two women, "What?! Chandler's working on getting the children ready for the day?!" his eyes go wide in both shock and confusion, _"Chandler hates having to do that! He made it clear!"_

Cristina's voice fills with a slight chuckle as she answers, "I know, it surprised me too!" She rubs the back of her head, "But, well, he started helping the kids out more ever since you began going with the Loud family, and well… it turns out he's pretty good at it." She looks him in the eyes, "So, in order to help him get better, Mr. Sherman decided to help him out."

"Well… ok then." He pouts for a quick moment, before shrugging, "Well then, I guess I'll just clean a bit. I mean, this place does get dusty every now and then!"

Yet, undeterred, the young redhead waves him off once more, "Oh, you don't have to do that. I've got it handled." She walks over to a nearby closet and pulls the broom out, "Turns out I'm really good at sweeping too!"

" _Why are they going out of their way to do all this stuff?! They still need me around!"_ The young boy flares his arms for emphasis, "But that's not fair to you guys… you're doing all my chores for me, then."

In response Cristina waves him off once more, "Don't worry about it Lincoln. You've been doing so much for us ever since… she left." She looks into his eyes and smiles, "It's about time we returned the favor, don't ya think?"

" _Well… I have been working hard to make life easier for everyone, even if life doesn't wanna be easy on me."_ Lincoln shakes his head, "But guys, I gotta do something, ya know!" Though he can't help but think, _"Yeah… it's like they're… planning on having me leave them soon…"_

"Don't worry Lincoln." The old woman walks over and places her hand on his head, "Everything is fine here. Why don't you go out and clear your head? After all, so much has happened to you and the children in so little time. It was make anyone desperate for some resemblance of their reality.

" _Yeah… a lot has happened…"_ Lincoln looks into Mrs. Sherman's eyes with his own begging gaze. "But, Ms. Sherman…"

" _He needs to realize that we'll be fine without him."_ And yet, the old woman remains undeterred, unwavering in her decision, "Please Lincoln, do this for them. You cannot help them when your mind is clouded with thoughts."

"But… But…" For a moment, the young boy continues to hesitate. _"But they need me here, I just know it…"_ His gaze falls upon one of the two redheads that had decided to take his jobs. No doubt the other is currently busy trying to force one of the children into the clothes they so desperately desire not to wear. _"She doesn't know what they like… right? And Chandler can't handle them alone…"_

"Please, Lincoln." Mrs. Sherman takes Lincoln's hands in her own, "I know you can take care of yourself, so why don't you go and just have a short walk? We'll hold the fort down until you get back."

Lincoln sighs in defeat, "All right… all right, I'll go. But please, if something happens, call me, ok?"

The woman rubs his head, "No problem, now go have fun."

And with that, the boy nods once more, before turning and walking out the door.

" _Come on Lincoln, you're the only one who's left. You have got to realize your truth!"_ Mrs. Sherman thinks in worry, before turning towards Cristina, "So, how is the food going?"

The young girl looks on in worry, before lifting up the pan, revealing a small, perfectly cooked dish of bacon, an egg and a pancake "Well… I think I pulled off sunny side up eggs and crispy bacon!"

The old woman smiles, "Good, that's very, very good." She then walks over to a nearby cabinet and pulls out the equipment required for the next part of breakfast. "Now onto the drinks."

Cristina gulps in fear at the sight of the juicer and the fruits that are going to go into it.

* * *

" _Dangit…"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, while holding his hands above his head, _"I know I've been putting off getting adopted for five years, but those kids need me!"_ He looks up, towards the rising sun for a moment, his mind abuzz with the events of the past few days.

Given the weekday morning, the roads of Royal Woods are packed with the drivers eager to make their way to their destinations. Their frustrated honking fills the town with a noise uncharacteristic of one its size, not that the boy minds of course.

" _I just wish things were simple…"_ He sighs, before continuing to walk along the road, some of his thoughts easily getting drowned out by the noisy town around him, _"I wonder why they're trying to push me away too… it's like they really think that the Louds are gonna adopt me…"_

He stops for a moment, and pulls out the locket his sister had given him, opening it up to reveal the slightly damaged photo of his family, _"But… if they weren't gonna adopt me… then why are they acting like I'm a part of their family already? They've gone out of their way to spend time with me and even decided to bring me along on one of their trips! That's not something you do for every random orphan boy you meet…"_

Lincoln shakes his head, before shoving the locket back in his shirt and continuing to move onwards… or else he would have, if he had not run into someone in in his confusion.

"Ouch!" The young boy falls back, rubbing his head as he does so, "Hey! Watch where' you're going!"

"Sorry…" A soft voice responds, causing Lincoln to open his eyes, allowing the child to come into view. He has dark kill and curly black hair, as well as wears a yellow with blue stripes.

Without missing a beat, Lincoln is back on his feet and takes a deep breath, "It's fine." He extends his hand towards him, "I've just got stuff on my mind and all. I'm not mad at you."

"O-ok…" The boy rubs his head, before looking up at the person he had run into, before grabbing his arm and allowing the other boy to hoist him up. "Are you ok?"

The white-haired boy waves him off, "Yeah, yeah, I'm all right and stuff. You know, life's just getting in the way and stuff."

"Oh, ok!" The young boy doesn't let go of the other boy's arm, choosing instead to narrow his eyes at him, "Hmm… hey… haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

" _Probably, given how I go around town every now and then…"_ Lincoln shrugs in response, "Probably not. I mean, Royal Woods is a small town, but I don't think it's that small, ya know."

For a moment, the dark-skinned boy stares at the light-skinned one, before loosening his grip and breaking the grip that had helped him to his feet. Then, just as their hands part, the boy's eyes go wide with the realization, "W-wait! I know you!" He begins to stumble back.

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "Ok? From where?"

He immediately points at the boy, "You robbed me!" before he takes even more steps back, while beginning to turn his body away to run.

The boy tilts his head in confusion, "No I didn't?" Though he can't help, but remember the night that came before Liberty was adopted- the second to last raid he had done. Suddenly, the realization dawns on him, "Wait… you're the kid that woke up while I was… getting stuff?"

"I gotta get my dads! They want have a word with you!" He follows that up by turning and making a beeline for the nearby road, no doubt his home is in walking distance.

Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes go wide as well, before he gives chase to the boy, _"Dangit! If he recognized me, then other people are definitely gonna start realizing who I am!"_ He wastes no time doing his best to catch up, "Hey kid! If you let me explain myself, then you can run!"

"I don't care! My dads said you need to pay for scaring us like that!" The boy counters, turning the corner and continuing his sprint away without missing a beat.

" _If he tells his dads, then the police are gonna have an easier time figuring everything out."_ He silently curses at the fact that he had only started walking when he ran into the boy. No doubt runs through his mind, the moment the police find out where they ran into each other, he wouldn't be able to stay in what had been his home for close to five years, _"And if they find me there, well then off to military school it is for me!"_

Quickly, the opposing young boy scans the area, dropping and placing his hands on his knees in hopes that he had lost his pursuer, "Ok, I think I lost him…"

Let, unknown to him, Lincoln easily hops the fences that divide the nearby houses, before running back onto the sidewalk and shouting, "Hey! Wait up! I need to talk to you!"

"Dads! Help me!" He counters, before attempting to continue his escape, and yet, much to his dismay, his exhaustion catches up to him, allowing the young boy to quickly catch up and grab a hold of him.

" _Thank goodness the kids used to try this stuff with me or else I may have never been able to catch up!"_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, before looking the young boy in the eyes, "Hey, I'm sorry for what I did to you, but I really need to tell you something."

"Yeah, and why should I believe anything you say?!" The boy counters, glaring at his captor while continuing to pull him along in a desperate attempt to find his parents.

" _He has a point!_ " Lincoln immediately thinks, _"I robbed him for a good reason, but I can't prove it unless I can get him to listen to me!"_ Then, with a deep breath, he answers, "It's because I took from you to help my family."

"Yeah, help your family." He crosses his arms, "That's what they all say! I watch TV, I know that all the bad guys just do it for the money and lie about it so that the cops get off their backs about it!"

"But it's true!" The white-haired boy's voice begs for his captive to believe his pleas, "I took what I did because my family is having a hard time going on!" While he thinks, _"Though… ever since the Louds came by, things have been easier… especially after Lisa helped with the fundraiser…"_

"Whatever bro." The boy shakes his head, "When my dads find us, you're gonna get in so much trouble!"

" _I really hate having to do this…"_ A moment passes after that, with desperation filling Lincoln's body, _"I have to tell him the truth. If I'm sent off to military school then I'll never be able to help the kids or… spend time with the louds…"_ He takes a deep breath, deep down already knowing the solution to his situation.

And so, with a defeated and pained voice, he loosens his grip and responds, "I'm an orphan! That's why I did it!"

He quickly perks up, _"He's an orphan? Like I was…"_ though he doesn't notice the weakening grip, choosing instead to wave him off "Whatever, you're just saying that to-"

"I know that it's hard to believe." Lincoln lets go of the boy and grabs onto his own arm nervously, "And I understand that you're angry at me, but please, you have to believe me, I'm an orphan and I stole what I did to help the others…"

For a moment, the dark-skinned boy stares at his former captor, _"I should use this chance to escape, after all, it's not like he's willing to stop me like this, right?"_ And yet, much to his own surprise, he finds himself standing by with crossed arms, "Go on."

Relief fills the young boy's body, before he takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry I robbed you. I know you don't trust me and probably want to go tell your dads where I am…"

"Yeah, no duh!" The boy counters, flaring his arms as he does so, "My dads trusted me to keep that five dollars safe and you took it from me!"

"But please." Lincoln holds his hands together, begging for the boy to believe his please, "I did what I did because it's my job to take care of them all. The orphanage director and her husband are getting too old to take care of the children and as the oldest around, it's now my just to take care of them." He loosens up and takes a deep breath, "Look, I'm sorry I robbed you, but I didn't it because I needed to get some stuff for the other orphans…"

"So you stole my stuff?!" He pinches the bridge of nose and shakes his head, "That wasn't cool!"

"I know, and I'm sorry." The boy takes a deep breath and sits down on the curb, "But… for the past few weeks, things haven't been doing that great for us all…" He rubs his arm in embarrassment, "So… in order to make it easier for the orphanage directors to make ends meet… I steal some stuff from people so they have something good to eat…"

The other boy remains silent, staring at Lincoln with a judgmental gaze.

"I'm sorry if I scared you and I'm sorry if I ruined any chance of you trusting me." He continues, turning back and looking up at the boy, gazing into his eyes with a begging hope, "But please, I did it to help them. And when I can, I promise, I'll personally come to your home and pay you and your dads back."

The dark-skinned boy stares at Lincoln for a moment, judging his every move with absolute incredulity. "What's your name?"

"I'm Lincoln." He stands up.

For a moment, he remains silent, before letting out a breath, "You know… I could never keep a grudge… fine, I'll let you pay me and my dads back." The boy responds, before holding out his hand, "I'm Clyde."

"I'm sorry about it all Clyde…" The white-haired boy responds, "I really am."

"It's fine." He doesn't break his gaze, "Are you really an orphan?"

He nods in response, "Yeah. I've been an orphan for close to five years…" His voice trails off, allowing his thoughts to take hold, _"Now that I think of it… it'll be five years after tomorrow… right?"_ He then looks back at Clyde, "How about you? I remember you having two dads."

Clyde nods in response, "Yeah… I was adopted when I was very young… so I don't really remember what my real parents were like…" He shrugs, "Not that I mind of course."

"Heh… I wonder what it would be like to get adopted…" Lincoln quips, looking up in the sky as he does so, _"After all… Liberty got adopted…"_

"You never know." The dark-skinned boy shrugs, causing a soft silence to overtake them for a moment.

Only for Clyde to break the silence once more, "So, Lincoln, right? How's the orphanage like?"

"Well… for the longest time, it's been… ok I suppose, though a lot of us have been feeling down." He sighs, "Not too many of us are getting adopted now a days…" While he thinks, _"And those that are, end up breaking us apart…"_

"It sounds… depressing…" The boy looks away shamefully.

"It could be worse though." The boy smiles at the thought of the Loud Girls, "For the past few days, we've been getting a lot of visitors, all from the same family."

"Oh?" The dark-skinned boy raises an eyebrow in interest, "Sounds like someone's gonna get adopted soon, right?"

In response, Lincoln stares at the concrete below, "Well, yeah… everyone thinks that they're gonna adopt me soon… thought I'm not sure…"

"How come?" Clyde tilts his head in curiosity.

"I'm not sure if I wanna leave." Lincoln shakes his head, "And if I do, I'm gonna have ten sisters!"

"That sounds awesome!" Clyde laughs, flaring his arms as he does so. "So why are you having problems? Why don't you wanna go?"

"It's because… I care for the other orphans, ya know… they're like my family." Lincoln responds, slight pain filling his voice.

For a moment, Clyde hesitates his next answer. To think, the person he had run into was the same boy that had robbed him just a few days prior and now they're talking like they're close friends! And so, with a deep breath, he answers, "Look, I've never had siblings because my dads felt content just having me. They told me because they wanted to have just one thing to focus on."

He then looks into Lincoln's eyes, "Yeah, I've had friends, but not really any close ones, you know…"

"How's this supposed to help me?" Lincoln asks, fear filling his voice.

"I don't think I can really help you much, but from the sound of it, those girls love you just as much as the other orphans." Clyde continues, determination filling his voice, "Why don't you tell me about them? Maybe that'll help, ya know."

"How's that supposed to help?" The white-haired boy raises an eyebrow in confusion.

Clyde shrugs, "as my therapist always says, talking about it will make it easier to explain it."

"Uhh… therapist?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm part of a study." Clyde quickly responds, "That's all my dads will tell me."

For a moment, Lincoln thinks about delving deeper into his new companion's life, though instead he sighs, "Well… the girls are pretty cool. Lori is their leader, Leni loves fashion, Luna is a musical genius, Luan loves making jokes, Lynn is pretty sporty, Lucy loves poetry, Lana is a fun girl, Lola loves beauty pageants, Lisa's a scientist and Lily's a baby." He chuckles, "They're fun and talented. Plus… well, they helped me out when I needed it the most."

"From the sound of it, you really like those girls too." Clyde wastes no time responding.

"What makes you say that?" Lincoln raises an eyebrow in interest.

"You're talking about them so fondly is all." The dark-skinned boy responds, "It's like you want to be a part of their family too."

"I wish I could, but for me, well that's just not the case." The white-haired by sighs in defeat, "If I leave… well… everything's gonna fall apart."

"Oh?" The dark-skinned boy looks on in interest, "How come?"

"I do a lot of the chores around the house and help out the directors. If I were to leave then… who's going to provide for the kids?" He continues, defeat filling his voice, while a familiar one speaks up, _"Yeah, this is your life. Just accept it and everything will be fine."_

"I dunno." Clyde shrugs, "I mean, from the sound of it, those people who run the orphanage have been doing it for years. I'm, sure they'll be able to manage without you. Maybe it's, ya know, time to move on?"

Suddenly, the realization begins to dawn on the boy. Cristina and Chandler weren't just learning how to help the other orphans because they are good at it, but also because they are preparing for his departure. _"Ms. Sherman knows that they want to adopt me… and she knows that after I leave, someone has to take care of everything, so she and Mr. Sherman decided to train Chandler and Cristina…"_ his heart starts to race.

"Plus, you can always visit them, can't you?" he continues with a shrug, "I know it'd be hard, but like my dads always say. Some things aren't going to last forever." He looks into Lincoln's vibrant eyes, "Maybe those girls coming along was a sign that you need to go live your life."

" _He's right…"_ Lincoln remains silent for a moment, unsure of just how to respond and yet, eventually he decides on a simple one. "Thanks Clyde."

"No problem Lincoln." The boy responds.

The duo then stands up, with the white-haired boy awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, "I'm sorry about robbing you. I hope we can still be friends."

Clyde rubs his chin for a moment, before offering his hand to Lincoln, "Friends."

Lincoln returns the offer and nods, "Friends."

And with that, Clyde walks away, no doubt to find his dads. "See ya! I live at P. Sherman Wallaby Way!"

"And I live at… the Royal Woods Orphanage on Neptune!" Lincoln, meanwhile smiles and returns the wave, more thoughts beginning to fill his mind, _"Maybe it is time for me to move on too."_ His thoughts move to focus on Cristina and Chandler, no doubt the duo had started working harder solely because they didn't have him around. And yet, the home didn't seem to become any more chaotic than it usually is.

For the first time in years, his heavy heart falls at ease, _"Though kids… they're gonna do fine without me. And those girls are gonna stick around, I just know it."_ After that, he turns and begins making his way home. _"I just hope that tomorrow is gonna be ok..."_

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

"Rita." Lynn Sr. walks over to his wife, choosing to stand before her in front of the kitchen table, "I've taken the day to think about what you asked yesterday and what we can do about it."

"Oh?" The woman tilts her head in curiosity.

"I know it's gonna be a stretch to accommodate him, but I want to adopt Lincoln as well." He continues, "But I'm unsure. So I want to give one more test before we go."

"What test?" Rita leans in closer. "I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Sherman wouldn't mind it, so long as it's reasonable."

Lynn Sr. looks into her eyes, "Tomorrow, we can take him and the girls on a family trip. And there, we'll be able to see just how well he handles everything, ok?"

His wife hesitates for a moment, _"And what will happen if everything falls apart?"_ She is tempted to ask for a moment, before nodding in agreement, after all, she already knows what would happen. "All right dear, lets make a few phone calls."

And with that, the man nods as well, before the duo turns and gets to work making the preparations.

19-15-13-5 6-18-9-5-14-4-19-8-9-16-19 1-18-5 6-15-18-7-5-4 6-18-15-13 2-1-20-20-12-5. 15-20-8-5-18-19 6-18-15-13 13-21-20-21-1-12 5-24-16-5-18-9-5-14-3-5. 2-21-20 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 1-14-4 3-12-25-4-5-'19 3-15-13-5 6-18-15-13 2-15-20-8.

 **A/N And that's the Segway into the finale chapters of this story! I thank Wolvenstrom for all his help! Man, I can't believe things are coming full circle already. Next Lincoln and co go to a very special place! I wonder who can guess where! Also, it's an important day for Lincoln too, I wonder who remembers it. (It was mentioned in C1)**

 **Guest Replie** **s** **(C15)**

 **Guest: Heh, I'm not sure how to respond besides, well, Lincoln deserves a family in this story, given what he's gone through.**


	16. Finding A Family

**A/N Hey everyone! I'm still around! Anyways, before I get into the story, I first have to mention that, normally I respond to all of my reviewers- after all, it's what I do, but I was unable to because my schedule was just too hectic and I needed the extra time to finish this chapter. On the bright side, I'm glad so many of you guessed what was going to happen and got it right! More on what happened in the other A/N. I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R**

Chapter Sixteen: Finding A Family

For a moment, an uncharacteristic silence overtakes the small home, while the two parents simply sitting across from each other, waiting for the other to break the silence.

"All right Rita, this is our last chance to stop… to put an end to it all" Lynn Sr. looks up to his wife, his voice wavering while his cell phone lies between them, resting on the dining room table, waiting for someone to claim it and make a call. "The moment we tell her our plans is the moment we have to take responsibility for what happens next."

His wife hesitates for a moment, silently weighing the pros and cons for a decision, such as this, before she takes a deep breath, "Lynn, I know it'll be hard to manage. And yes, I know it's risky, but…" She turns and looks into the man's eyes, her own filling with soft, begging tears, "I think it's a good idea. He's been a pleasure to have around and the girls love him so much… He's the brother that we… couldn't give them."

The man takes a deep breath in response, "It'll be hard Rita." He takes a deep breath, _"But… after everything that's happened… maybe it really is time to 'follow though'."_ He looks away, "But… if you're willing to take the risk then… I trust you." Before he returns his gaze to her.

She nods in response.

He takes one final deep breath, before grabbing hold of his cell phone and dialing a number he had never expected to save.

*Ring* *Ring* The dial tone goes, before a familiar person answers.

"Royal Woods Orphanage, Mrs. Sherman Speaking." The old woman greets.

"H-hi, Mrs. Sherman." The man stammers, "I would, umm, I'd like to uhh…" He shakes his head, "Hi, this is Lynn Sr. speaking."

"Oh! Mr. Loud, how are you doing?!" Cheer fills the old woman's voice, while the man's heart begins to race, _"I'm going to go through with this. I am not gonna back away after everything that's happened!"_

"I'm doing all right." He forces his nerves to calm down, "I just, well, I wanted to talk to you about Lincoln."

On the other end of the line, Mrs. Sherman raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? What would you wish to know?"

"Well, my wife and I were talking and well… we've decided that we're going to adopt him." His voice fills with a sincere hope, _"He's the son we never had. And it'd be a shame if we let him go after he had so much fun and bonded with the girls."_

"That's splendid!" The old woman's voice fills with excitement, "It will take some time for me to fill out the necessary forms, but I am sure I can have the paperwork done whenever you desire them!"

"That's all right." He looks to his wife, "Before we adopted him, we wanna take him to Dairyland. Ya know, to help him become comfortable with going on family trips and stuff, as well as spending time with the girls for long periods of time."

"I suppose that is all right." The woman goes in concern, "Just… be careful with him. He doesn't really like long car rides, given his past with them."

"I understand." The man responds. "Could you tell him to be ready in the morning?"

"Of course." The elderly woman then takes a moment to hesitate, "If you understand the risk, I will tell him. Thank you for doing this. Tomorrow is a special day for him."

Lynn Sr.'s eyes go wide in shock. "Oh really? Heh, well that's convenient!" He chuckles, "What's so special about tomorrow for him?"

"I would rather him tell you himself rather than I." She responds, much to the man's dismay.

"All right then, we'll be coming by tomorrow." Lynn Sr. repeats, hoping that old woman would remember.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Loud." The director smiles, "Do you have any other questions or wish to know anything else?"

The man thinks for a moment. There is plenty he could ask: what the process would be like, how to handle telling him what had happened, who would do what for Pete's sake! And yet, he simply shrugs off the idea. He will cross that bridge when he comes to it. "No, just, please keep it a surprise. I want to see his face when he sees Dairyland!"

"Very well, I will tell him that you wish to take him on a trip." Mrs. Sherman speaks with a soft, motherly tone, "Please, do not wait."

"Thank you!" Lynn Sr. goes with a soft smile, before ending the call and turning to his wife.

Rita looks on in curiosity, "So, what did she say?"

Her husband nods, "We can adopt and take him on the trip."

"That's wonderful." The woman then stands up and walks over to her husband, hugging him as she does so.

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

With a soft smile, Mrs. Sherman returns the old, corded phone to its resting place. _"It is about time that they finally decided."_ She chuckles, _"From the moment they offered to have their daughters visit this old, forgotten place, I knew they would be taking one of the children with them."_ She turns, allowing her gaze to fall upon a group photo of the orphans, though she finds her gaze moving towards a small, white-haired boy, _"I am glad they chose him."_ And yet, once she averts her gaze, she simply sighs.

Now of course, after working in the orphanage for over fifty years, she had gotten used to the random calls that, after much deliberation, resulted in one of her charges 'leaving the nest' as she prefers to put it, and yet, never before had a family requested something such as this. The mere idea of an orphan going out and joining the family for a trip, without the rest of them… well that seems simply off to her.

" _But the Louds are not like other families."_ She thinks, before she turns, walks out of her office and over to the old staircase. _"Most of the time, I would be suspicious, protective without end for these orphans…"_ Slowly, she climbs her way up, though gven her age, she is forced to hold onto the railing as she moves, not that she minds.

After all, she has an important message to bring, _"… But I believe after what the Louds have done, is reason enough to make an exception for them."_

With that in mind, she makes her way, through the small corridor that is the orphanage's second floor, before stopping in front of a familiar door, _"Lets hope that Lincoln will be on board for it though."_ Wordlessly, she moves to grab the doorknob, _"He was so chipper when he came home earlier, I am sure that he should still be in the mood."_

And with a soft push, she opens the door, revealing the young boy- still awake- with a pencil in hand and a notebook resting in his lap. He immediately reacts, "Oh, hey Ms. Sherman, I didn't hear you coming."

"Still awake I see." The old woman chuckles at the sight.

Lincoln immediately closes the book, making sure to shove the pencil in the middle crook, "Y-yeah." He awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "I was just… writing and stuff."

The old woman raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? About what?"

The boy smiles, before presenting the notebook, "Well… it's about the girls." He continues to rub his head, trying not to look the old woman in the eyes.

" _He has been thinking about it too."_ The woman moves her hand over to the boy and begins running her hand through his soft, white hair as well, "I see." She smiles, "What is the story about?"

" _Heh, there's no hiding it now, huh?"_ Lincoln smiles, "Well… I was thinking of what life with ten sisters could be like… So I got to work on two stories…"

"Oh?" The old woman tilts her head.

Lincoln nods, "Yep, but I'd rather not show you them yet." She looks up, into the elderly woman's soft, caring eyes, "I wanna show you them when I'm finished, ok?"

Mrs. Sherman nods, "Very well then, dear." She smiles, "I just got a call from the Louds."

Immediately, they boy's eyes light up, "R-really?!" While he can't help but think, _"Is it about what I think it was?!"_

"They are going on a family trip tomorrow and they want to take you along…" She looks into his eyes as well, "If you would like to, of course."

Without hesitation, the young boy nods, "Of course I'd like to go! I'll go ready my stuff right now!"

" _He has finally become… accepting of the idea that he has to leave."_ The orphanage director smiles, "All right then, you go do that." She then turns and begins to walk away, "Good night, Lincoln."

"Goodnight Ms. Sherman!" Lincoln excitedly answers, before running over to his closet and pulling out two sets of clothes- one of the many orange polos Leni had bought him, as well as one of the blue jeans, _"Thanks Leni."_

And after a few quick moments of prepping for the next day, Lincoln takes a deep breath and hops on his bed once more, _"Heh, things really are changing around here."_ Carefully, he pulls the pencil from the book and flips over to the page he was working on, only to come across the two titles with countless lines of empty space under them.

" _Now where was I?"_ He chuckles, before tapping his lip with the eraser of his pencil, _"Oh right! I was going through all of my notes trying to come up with the story I'm gonna write!"_ Quickly, his hands move through the pages, while his eyes skim the rushed marks that he had left himself.

" _I know my talent and if the smiles on those kids' faces is any indication, I'm pretty good at what I do."_ He steels his nerves, _"I can write a great story and I'm decent at art!"_ Memories of the times he had spent with the children begin to fill his mind, _"The kids will be all right. It's been a few days and so far Cristina and Chandler have been doing perfectly well."_ Relief fills the boy's body. The moment he came home from his talk with Clyde, he found himself simply writing all the ideas he could come up with. Of course, he would take a moment to backtrack every now and then, but that is besides the point.

Now, after close to four hours of work, Lincoln sits by, notebook in hand and pencil ready to write. _"Now I just need an idea…"_ He pokes himself again, _"I could write a story about a young girl…"_ He begins plotting the idea, trying to come up with a conflict from the girl to resolve, and yet, each time he tries, the idea simply bores him.

He shakes his head, _"Hmm… How about instead of one girl… there are ten?"_ The boy smiles at the idea, _"Heh to think, here I am trying to write a story like I have countless times before, and now I'm gonna write about the girls that come to visit me."_ The boy leans forward, _"All right then, lets see what I can do."_

A moment passes after that, with the young boy doing his best to come up with a theme, an idea, a basic sentence just to start him off. And yet, nothing seems to come up. He drops his head back, while allowing his arms to go limp in defeat, _"Dangit. This wouldn't be so hard if I knew those girls as well as I knew my own sister… I knew her like the back of my hand!"_ He turns and glances out the window, _"Or at least I thought I did…"_

Rita's words rush to the forefront of Lincoln's mind, slowly bringing the feelings he had harbored against himself into light. _"I'm special too… maybe I had been looking at Liberty through rose-colored glasses this whole time…"_

Suddenly, the boy's eyes go wide in realization, _"That's it! I can write a story about how life as a guy living with ten girls could be like!"_ He snaps his fingers and chuckles, "Heh, if Nickelodeon can have two shows based on having one girl with several brothers, then why can't I flip the script and double the number?!"

Then, just as his pencil meets the paper he wishes to write on, a familiar voice speaks up.

" _You know that you're looking at the girls through the same rose-colored glasses you saw Liberty with, right?"_ It goes, its tone filling with frustration, _"No matter what you write, you're doing it thinking like a person who sees them every now and then. Living them is much more different than just having them come by to help!"_

"Yeah, I know." Lincoln counters, "But so what? Isn't the point of writing to imagine what a world would be like if I did something a certain way or gaze a risk a chance? I mean, come on! There's nothing to be afraid of and I know it!"

" _Grr…"_ The voice growls in response, while Lincoln wastes no time putting pen to paper and getting to writing.

"First, let's see…" He scribbles away, _"First I gotta introduce them as a family… how come I…"_

" _Here, why don't you start with all the writing clichés you know?!"_ The voice laughed, _"You're uncreative anyways, so why bother trying to do something original?!"_

A light bulb goes off in Lincoln's mind, _"You know what, that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea!"_ He can't help, but chuckle, while his inner voice groans in frustration.

"How about we start with…" He begins forcing the pencil to move along the soft notebook paper, causing words of all shapes and sizes to appear, with the boy sometimes stopping for a short moment to add an illustration of some kind- just to make sure that what he is describing is as clear as can be. "This would make a fun day there… I'd duck, dodge, push and shove, we'd rush to get the last slice of pizza and even fight to share the bathroom!"

Now, of course, to most children, the mere idea of having a family that large would be insane! And yet, Lincoln couldn't help, but latch on to the thought. _"It would be amazing to have ten loving sisters like them. I just know it."_

" _Keep telling yourself that."_ The voice spits out, _"Then talk to me the moment you annoy them all. The second that you are of no use to them or heck, get in a fight with any of them, they'll just throw you back on the curb!"_

Lincoln shakes his head again, purging the thought, before he continues writing on, _"Yeah, I'll make mistakes; we all do! But I just know that they're not gonna destroy me over them unless I mess up badly."_

" _Yeah, and given your knack for doing that, I mean come on!"_ the voice's tone shifts to a more amused one, _"Why don't you realize what'll happen when you make a mistake in front of them!"_

"No matter." The boy stares at the paper and continues to write, more words filling the pages as he goes on, though most of the time even he is unsure of exactly what he is trying to come up with. And after an hour of work, he finishes- his hand now sore from overuse. "And there. Done!"

" _Great! Your stupid writing project is done, now why don't you-"_

Quickly, Lincoln scroll back to the first page, before pulling out a small, red pencil, _"Now time for the editing."_

" _What?! What are you-"_ The voice tried to counter, only for Lincoln to say, "Oh shut it you. I don't really care what you think. I was just letting you talk because I needed someone to push me forward. Now if you'll shut it, I'm going to go change and fix what you're trying to ruin."

" _But why?! Why are you going on?!"_

"Simple." He begins working, wasting no time crossing out and correcting whatever random phrases he can find, "Self hate gets you nowhere. It's the fact that I can still change things, that gives me the hope me to go on. It doesn't matter what a first draft looks like, because it's supposed to be a mess! It's where you get all your ideas and see what you can come up with!" He crosses more lines out, before adding corrections to whatever remains, "That's what life is like. And that's why I know I have to move on."

The voice remains silent. It is as if deep down, no matter what force- whether internal or external- tries to prod him to stay, nothing will prevent him from finishing what he had started.

And within a few minutes the first draft's corrections are complete, allowing Lincoln to move to a part of the notebook and write again- though this time, with the voice quiet.

Then, as the moon reaches its highest point in the night sky, Lincoln holds up the second draft to the story, with a small smile on the boy's face, _"Heh, took a few hours, but I did it."_ Quickly, he reads through his work, eyeballing it for any more errors, before he closes the rubs his chin with a smile, _"Heh, I did it. It took a while, but I finally got the argument to sound more like a real family squabbling. Though, it seems the reason for the fight seems a bit weak- I mean a dress, really?! Plus, my self-insert character seems a bit dumb. It doesn't make sense that I of all people would start blurting out secrets! I'd be living with ten girls, secrecy it the best thing you can get in a house like that!"_ He chuckles, _"Plus, it's full of plot holes."_

And yet, despite the faults he had found in his work, he still finds the ability to smile, _"But hey, who knows really? I did my best."_ He closes the book, _"Plus, I can edit this again later. Life gives you a few chances sometimes and I am not gonna let this one pass me by."_

" _You think too highly of them."_

"No, I don't." Lincoln holds up the manuscript, "I'll admit, their family isn't perfect, I could tell from the first night I spent with them and from Lori's words describing what trying to babysit them is like."His gaze hardens, "But Liberty wasn't perfect either, but does that make her any less perfect in my eyes? The Louds have so many members and yet they want to get closer to me. And that alone makes them perfect in my eyes."

" _Whatever. They're just like everyone else."_

"Do you ever get tired of repeating yourself?"Lincoln chuckles, before placing the notebook on his nightstand and pulling himself under the covers.

" _When their interest wanes, they'll leave you with nothing…"_ It pauses for a moment, _"Just like when she left."_

Lincoln smiles, "Keep telling yourself that." He closes his eyes, "After she left, I still had something. My own life, my own family and my own talent! And by listening to you, I would have never been able to see them all!"

The voice doesn't respond.

And with that, the young boy pulls the sheets over himself, taking in their soft heat for a short moment, before he sleeps the night away.

 _ **The Next morning…**_

"All right, you ready to do this Rita?" Lynn Sr. takes a deep breath, while holing onto his wife's hand.

"I'm always ready." The woman responds, before the man nods.

"Ok then." HE holds his hand up, "All right girls, come down! Today's gonna be a special day!"

And within a few minutes, the young girls descend the stairs, all still dressed in the same clothes they had when to bed in, while talking amongst themselves, rather openly complaining about their sudden awakening.

"Mornin' mom." Lori yawns, "What's up?"

The two parents look at each other for a moment, before turning to each other and nodding. Rita speaks up to answer, "Well, your father and I were talking last night, and we decided that because you girls have been acting so much better and decided to help out those orphans the other day, that we would reward you with a trip to Dairyland!"

Suddenly, an excited air overtakes the young girls. Now of course, on a normal day, when given the choice between Dairyland and what the girls usually do over their breaks, they'd pick the latter. But given the monotony of their schedule- coupled with their break's near-end, none of them would prefer to do anything else but enjoy themselves.

Yet, much to their surprise, their parents are not done.

"And since we noticed how fond you were of Lincoln…" Lynn Sr. takes a deep breath, "We've decided to bring Lincoln along with us."

Now, the girls would usually groan at the idea of bringing a guest along for any family trips. After all, their family van is already crowded when ten children and two parents have to share the space! And yet, when they hear that Lincoln would be joining them for the ride…

They instantly squeal in delight, before bolting upstairs, quickly changing into whatever they would need to go to Dairyland, running outside and piling into what they called "Vanzilla".

"Wow, that was easier than I thought it would be." Lynn Sr. couldn't help, but chuckle at his daughters' eagerness to see Lincoln again.

"They're our daughters, dear." Rita chuckles as well, "They're Louds and they aren't afraid to show what they truly feel."

"Yeah, now all we gotta do is go pick up Lincoln and those papers. Afterwards, I'm sure Lincoln will love to hear what we've decided to do." The man continues, before tugging his hand a bit, prompting his wife to walk with him.

"Let's just keep it a surprise. We want this to be one of the happiest days he's known, you know." Rita chuckles, "Plus, I doubt the girls could keep a secret this big for too long." She then steps in front of him, "Now come on, we're burnin' daylight!"

Lynn Sr. smiles and follows, before getting in the car with his wife and driving off.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"All right…" Lincoln takes a deep breath as he feels the soft fabric of the orange polo between his fingers. To think, a few days prior he was annoyed that Leni had decided to buy him an entire set of these things, and now, he couldn't help, but feel grateful that they cared so much, "Let's go."

Quickly, he dresses himself, making sure to wear the clothes Leni had picked out for him of course. _"She has a great sense of style."_ He chuckles, "Haha." Before turning to face the nightstand, allowing a family, brass container to come into view.

" _Today's the day Lincoln. Everything's gonna be perfect, I just know it."_ Slowly, he steps over and takes the item in his hand. With a slight tap to the small latch, the heart pops open, revealing a small picture of him, his sister and the rest of their family- all of them smiling as if nothing had changed since the day it was taken. _"Everything stays and everything changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly… in little ways, everything stays."_ Then, with a nostalgic smile, he takes the locket and secures it around his neck, making sure to push it under his shirt as he does so.

"Lincoln?" A soft voice greets, "Are you decent?"

"Yeah Ms. Sherman, you can come in." The boy nonchalantly answers, turning to the door as he does so.

The old woman wastes no time entering the room with that, "Good morning Lincoln!" She speaks with a weary, but excited voice. "I know that you do not have fond memories of this day, but I hope that you can try to feel better…"

"Don't worry." He holds his hand up to assure her, "I'll be fine." While he thinks, _"Yeah, with the Louds, I'm sure everything is gonna be all right."_

"Will you be ok?" The elderly woman places a hand on the boy's shoulder, prodding him to tell her the truth. "I am sorry you cannot spend this day with Liberty… I know how much it hurts."

For a moment, the young boy remains silent, taking the short moment to think his response through. Then, when he's ready, he smiles and looks into the orphanage director's eyes, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He looks down. "Just because today… is well, today doesn't mean I can't make it better." With a sincere voice, he finishes, "I just hope that, wherever she is, Liberty's doing her best to make today better too."

Mrs. Sherman runs her hand through the boy's soft white hair, leaving a small tuff standing up in the process, "I am sure she is." Though she can't help, but think with a smile, _"He has finally moved on. Finally…"_

*Ding* *Dong* The front bell goes.

"Ahh, that must be the Louds." The woman turns to the boy once more, "Are you ready to go?"

Lincoln nods in response, "Yes I am…" Quickly, he turns and grabs a book, "But first…" Then, he presents it to the old woman, "Families aren't perfect and they don't need to be. So… I want you to read this."

She looks at the book in awe for a moment, before taking it in her hands, "Oh? What is in here?"

The boy chuckles, "It has the story I wrote last night." He places his hands on the cover, "But I don't want you to read this until I'm gone, ok?"

" _He expects it too. He knows they will adopt him."_ The woman nods, "Very well. Is there anything else you would like to say before we go down?"

He shakes his head, "Nope!" And with that, the duo heads downstairs.

* * *

"Are you ready for this, Lincoln?" Mrs. Sherman asks with a smile, while her hand lingers over the doorknob "You know how eager those girls become when you get anywhere near them."

" _If I'm gonna get anywhere, I gotta accept that things are gonna change."_ His face filled with determination, _"And I've got to accept the love they've offered me."_ He nods, "Yeah. I'm ready."

The woman smiles, "All right." Before she grabs it and turns, revealing all twelve members of the Loud Family, all of them standing closely, ready to pounce on the young boy.

"H-hey guys!" Lincoln nervously greets, only for the young twins of the family to rush forward, throwing their arms around him as they do so.

"Lincoln!" They shout in unison, prompting Lincoln to put on a soft smile and pat their backs, "Heh, I missed you two, too!"

Suddenly, Lucy appears in front of him, though the boy doesn't flinch, "Uhh… hey Lincoln…" She awkwardly greets, "I uhh…"

"Yes, Lucy?" Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity, _"Now that I think of it, she has been acting… strangely while around me, I think at least…"_

She holds up a small notebook, "I uhh… I made you a poem." Her pale skin heats up, creating a small blush upon her cheeks.

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? Why don't you-" Yet, before he can finish his response, Lynn cuts in, pushing her Little sister away as she does so… as well as causing the younger boy to look at her in confusion.

"Uhh… Hey Lincoln." She awkwardly rubs the back f her head while her face goes red in embarrassment as well, "I know we haven't spent that much time together, but uhh…" She holds up her free hand, revealing a newly picked flower standing up in it, "I want you to have this."

"Well, I'm uhh… honored but-" Lincoln tries to counter, only for Lucy to run of over and tackle Lynn away. The Goth them opens her notebook, "Ok… Here I go! Nice boy… White hair…"

Yet, undeterred, Lynn hops to her feet and tries to force her sister away, only to create a small ball of violence in front of him, causing both him and their sisters to laugh in amusement.

A few feet away, the adults watch with soft smiles, while Mrs. Sherman pulls out a small clipboard. "I have filled out what I had to in order to release Lincoln from my care. From here, the state requires you to pass a background check and fill out these forms."

"All right then." Lynn Sr. takes the board in his hands, before taking it under his arm, "Just like we said. We'll-"

Yet, Mrs. Sherman simply motions for him to hold, "If you wish to adopt him, just give me the completed form, ok?" She smiles at the couple, "Have fun, ok?"

Rita nods in response, "All right then. Thank you, for everything, Mrs. Sherman."

The old woman turns to the family the young couple had brought with them, "It has been no issue. As painful as it can be, having to let go of those whom I have grown to care for." She lets out a breath, before turning back to them with a soft smile, "It is our dream to have every child given to a loving family."

"We promise, we'll take good care of him." Rita places a soft hand on the older woman's shoulder.

And the elderly woman nodded in response, before turning towards the young children- at least, that's what they are in her eyes- and finishing, "Have fun today, you hear?"

Lincoln breaks free of the girl's grip and runs over to hug Mrs. Sherman, "Will do!"

And with that, Lynn Sr. walks over to the front door, with his wife following soon after, "All right everyone, let's go! We're burnin' daylight and we wanna have as much time as we can there!"

And before anyone knows it, the entire Loud Family crams into their van, with the young boy immediately following; surprisingly enough, without an ounce of hesitation in him.

" _Heh, just because it happened five years ago, doesn't mean it'll happen now."_ He thinks as he tries to buckle himself in, only to find that that his seatbelt seems… loose. Yes, it buckled and locked, but he felt that he will be able to slip out of it if he tries.

"Heh so how are you doin' Lincy?" Leni cheerfully asks, though not realizing her father had put the car in drive and had begun driving off.

"Well, I'll admit, I'm doin' pretty well." He chuckles, before looking up the ditzy young woman, "What about you?"

Yet, instead of responding, Leni remains silent, now severely disoriented from the motion of the car, "Uhh… Leni, are you ok?"

"Don't worry about her." Lori leans back, resting just in front of the boy, "She gets that way whenever we start driving."

" _I feel like I should be more concerned."_ Lincoln shrugs, _"But hey, if this is normal, then why bother, right?"_ he then looks up at Lori, "So what about you?"

"I'm doin' all right Lincoln." She chuckles, "You should've heard what my boyfriend did though!"

The young boy tilts his head in curiosity, "Oh? What'd he do?"

Lori responds, "He…"

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

Finally, after close to an hour of travel, the small van stops on the outskirts of a amusement park. From what they can see, there are rides of all kinds, decorated with cows and barns of all shapes and sizes… as well as more milk than a baby would ever need!

"All right everyone, we're here." Lynn Sr. quickly chooses a random parking space and pulls the keys from the engine, "Are you all excited?"

"Yeah!" Luna strums her guitar, "I can't wait to see the Milk Mash Rush! I heard if you know how to play guitar, you can follow along and play karaoke with the fountains!"

Luan quickly nudges her older sister, "Don't forget Cow and Chicken's Home Show!" Luan holds herself before laughing, "It's one the **whole-est** parts of this park!"

After that, the rest of the Loud girls follow up by adding their own feelings about the park, before turning their attention to the young boy in the midst- whom has been silent ever since they entered the park.

"What about you, Lincoln?" Rita asks with a concerned tone.

" _Just stay calm Lincoln. Just stay calm. "_ he hesitates for a moment, _"This is a bad idea. You have to tell them to go somewhere else! Anywhere else, heck a freeway rest stop is better than here!"_ Before he shakes his head, allowing his thoughts to calm down, _"No, I need to do this. I need to accept what had happened. I need to move on, these people were nice enough to take me here on their family trip, and I'm not gonna stare their gift horse in the mouth!"_ He takes a soft breath, before smiling at the woman, "I can't wait to have fun is all. I haven't been here in a long time."

"Oh?" Lisa leans in curiously, rubbing her chin as she does so, "When was the last time you were here?"

Lincoln turns and pushes open the passenger-side door, "Five years ago. Heh, I barely remember it though." While he can't help, but notice, _"Strange… this door seems to have a broken lock…"_

A confused air fills the van as Lincoln hops out and turns to the family, "You comin'? Dairyland isn't gonna stay open for us, you know!"

The girls turn and look at each other, before shrugging off the feeling, following it up by running out of the van, grabbing Lincoln as they do so, leaving their father and mother behind to watch them go.

"They're so excited." Rita quips, hope filling her body.

"Heh, I'm not surprised." The man chuckles, "I'm just glad Lynn and Lucy aren't the types to go on the tunnel of love." And with that, the two parents get out of the cr as well, before moving to follow their daughters.

* * *

"Ok guys, we need to make the most of what time we've got here, ok?" Lori steps in front of the crowd of her siblings and their guest, before she turns to Lisa, "All right, do you have any ideas?"

The young scientist rubs her chin for a moment, "Actually, yes I do." She pulls out a small notebook and begins sketching, before turning the resulting picture to face her siblings. "You see, there are ten sisters and one boy, whom we all wish to spend at least some time with, so what I suggest is, we each do an activity with him before we move on to other things, allowing us each to have a chance with him."

"What do you think, Lincoln?" Luna nudges him.

" _Heh, they really wanna spend time with me."_ Lincoln smiles and nods, "Sure, I'm ok with it." He steps forward, "Though, I'm not picking which ride I go on first." He chuckles, "I leave that for you guys to decide."

Immediately, the girls crowd around each other, trying to argue for or against the order that they would go… only for Lynn to grab on, "How about we go together first? I'm sure that there's plenty we could do together!"

Lincoln shrugs, "Heh all right. It looks like Lynn's won."

Groans emanate from the young women.

" _I need a ride I can use to get close to him!"_ Quickly, she eye-balls the scene. Around them are plenty of milk-based rides, and yet nothing truly pops out at her… well except for the tunnel of love. She shakes her head, _"Dangit…"_

Lucy appears by his side, "How about you go with me? I know a ride where everyone flies up and gets smooshed together!" She puts on an uncharacteristic smile, "It's pretty fun."

Lynn grimaces in frustration, "Lucy, I wanna go with him there!"

"So, I want to as well." The young Goth answers.

" _This isn't gonna end well!"_ Lincoln throws his hands up in surrender, "Girls, girls! Don't worry, I'll ride it with both of you!"

"Awesome!" Lynn goes in relief, while Lucy simply grabs on to his free arm, and before he knows it, the two girls are pulling him along, both eager to get as close to him as possible.

"Like, I'm totes surprised Lincoln didn't notice how close they're trying to get to him!" Leni quips, waving her hand as she does so.

Yet, Lola cuts in to answer, "That's just how boys Lincoln's age are!"

Lisa adjusts her glasses and steps forward, "We are following them, right?"

"Poo-poo." Lily adds, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Course sis'." Luna chuckles, before stepping forward, "We're not gonna let those two hog all the fun!"

And with that, the rest of the girls follow.

A few minutes later, Lynn, Lincoln and Lucy sit in thee ride- a large, stand-up version with harnesses to hold you in place while you spin around.

"All right!" Lynn Shouts, while pulling on her harness, "You ready for this Lincoln?!"

Lincoln nods, his heart pounding in excitement, _"I'm actually gonna do this, I'm going on the first rollarcoaster I have in years!"_ He then nudges Lucy, "You ready?"

Lucy blushes, "Y-yes!" While she thinks, _"Curse you Lynn! When we get home I'm going to make it so Lincoln will never like you like I love him!"_

After that, the ride starts, moving ever so slightly forward, before the chain pulls them up. Then, just as they overcome to the first tower, the screaming starts, with the girls both clamoring to hold onto Lincoln, despite the fact that they are perfectly safe in the ride.

" _Heh, I guess these girls really like me!"_ Lincoln can't help, but smile between his cheer-filled screams.

Quickly, the trio is forced around what seems like hundreds of loops while the ride turns and bends, suspending them in mid air, before bringing them back around the ride and allowing them to get out.

And when they do, Lucy and Lynn hold onto the young boy. "Heh, you girls wanna tell me something?"

"Nope!" Lucy lets go, while Lynn puts on a fake smile.

" _I wonder what's going on with them…"_ Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, before simply shrugging and walking along, all right then, how about we get a move on! I've never seen Dairyland have so few lines!"

"Yeah!" Yet, before he can get far, Lola and Lana grab his arms next, with Lisa standing behind them, "We wanna play a game Lincoln!"

"Ok, ok!" Lincoln chuckles as he is pulled over to a small booth with several of bottles set up on a table.

"I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one." Lana points at a strange plush doll of indeterminate species.

"Oh, you want it?" Lola immediately turns to face her twin, "It's so adorable! I want it **more!** "

Lana immediately turns to meet her gaze, "Nuh-uh! I want it more than you!"

" _Heh, these girls are arguing over who wants a plush toy more."_ The boy can't help, but chuckle, before he places a five-dollar bill on the table, allowing the carney to give him three rings.

"If you want the bear, all you gotta do is hit the silver bottle." He declares, before stepping aside.

Lincoln glances behind him, "Hey Lisa, mind doing some math for me?"

The scientist smiles, "You desire my help?"

He nods, "Yeah, I need to know how to throw these rings to get all three on the silver jar."

Quickly, she pulls out a calculator and gets to work, "Very well… in order to get it right you just need to…" Lisa then hops to her feet and whispers into the boy's ear. He nods, before reeling back with all three in hand and tossing. And before he knows it, all three land on the silver bottle.

"Nice!" The carney chuckles, before grabbing three plush dolls and handing them to Lincoln, "Your plush dolls of indeterminate species!"

Lincoln smiles as he takes them, "Here ya go!" And he hands them over, much to the cheers from two of the three young children.

The young scientist stares for a moment, unsure of just how to take Lincoln's offer, "You… you want me to have this?"

The boy nods, before rubbing her head, "Yeah, I couldn't have won it without you, you know."

Lisa stares at the plush for a short moment, before pulling it in close and blushing, "Thanks Lincoln!"

"Yo Lincoln!" Luna cuts in, now standing in front of a fountain of milk, "I found The Final Milkdown!" She strums her guitar and shouts, "Come and fly away with me! Come and fly away with me!" The fountain responds by calming its milk jets, lining them up for the show. Then, with a calm voice, she continues, "Don't you be afraid, everything will change, you and I, jumpin' off the edge they say dreamers never die so, come and fly, come and fly, come and fly away with me!" And the attraction responds by spinning its milk jets, moving them to and fro to put on a beautiful milk show for the audience.

Luna chuckles, "If you think that's good, then check this out!" She strummed as hard as she could, causing the streams to burst up, before she continues, "We're risin', we're fallin', we'll make it through! We're climbin' we're soarin', a thousand views!" And with that, the jets show off their power once more, before dying down, prompting Luna to step away from her post.

"That was amazing!" Lincoln flares his arms in amazement.

Luan, of course, walks over with that, and leans on Lincoln's shoulder, "I've gotta admit, she managed to cut the cheese!"

And much to everyone's surprise, Lincoln can't help, but laugh at her pun.

"Haha!" He goes, "Where to next?!"

"Poo-poo!" Lily flares her arms, prompting Lincoln to pick her up, "Haha, all right, I'll take you to one of the kiddie rides."

Lily boops him on the nose while smiling, while Leni comes over as well, "I wanna go with you two!"

He shrugs, "Heh, all right!" And with that, they go over to a small ride, just a simple, slow loop with a small hill.

Now, for the next few minutes, the small card goes around, eliciting laughter from the two girls on board, while Lincoln simply smiles, _"These girls are amazing. They're lively and treat me like I'm one of their own."_ He chuckles, _"I'd love to have them as my sisters."_

After he and the two girls disembark, Lori comes over, "Hey Lincoln, wanna have a simple ride, where we talk, ya know?"

For a moment, Lincoln rubs his chin, "Sure Lori, so uhh… what do you wanna talk about?"

Lori grabs onto his hand, "Whatever you want."

* * *

"So the last time you were here, you had your whole family?" Lori asks, "Wow…" She rubs her chin, "You had a brother?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah. He was pretty cool." He steps forward in the line. He turns towards the young woman, "I mean, yeah, he had the bad habit of never finishing what he started and having a bad laziness streak… but he really cared about us ya know…"

Lori nods, "Yeah… I know what it's like."

"All right, keep your hands and feet inside the raft at all times! The man commands, while Lori and Lincoln get on top of a small, plastic platform surrounded by a river of milk. Nearby is a small opening where the milk slide would begin and the operator would throw them through the loop to have fun!

"So, you excited Lincoln?" The young woman asks, while the rest of the sisters hop onto other rafts, ready to move down the line.

" _Remember the last time I was here…"_ Lincoln smiles for a moment, before turning to Lori, "You know… it's been a while so uhh…" He taps his fingers in embarrassment.

"Yeah?" The eldest sister tilts her head in confusion.

Lincoln takes a deep breath. "Would you mind… letting me sit in your lap?" He looks up at her with begging eyes, "It's what I did when I rode this with my brother…"

For a moment, Lori hesitates her answer. Having a random boy sit in her lap? Why, that could be pretty awkward! And yet, she finds herself smiling, "Sure Lincoln, sure." Before Lincoln gets up and hops in her lap. Yes, the boy is a bit big, but they fit in the belts. And a few minutes after that, their raft heads down the ride- joy echoing from their lungs as they do so.

After that, that young family walks along the Dairyland roads, their soft talking speaking as loudly as their screams of joy mere moments prior. Not that anyone minds of course. They don't call them the Loud Family just because it's their last name!

" _This place has been amazing."_ Lincoln smiles, shoving his hands in his pockets as he does so. _"I just wonder if anything could-"_

"Step right up and win a prize!" A man shouts, cutting through the young children's joy-filled laughter.

"Heh, hey Lincoln, wanna play?" Lynn nudges his shoulder, an ever so slight blush present in her cheeks.

" _I guess it couldn't hurt."_ Lincoln smiles, before nodding, "Sure, wanna come with, girls?"

The young woman talk amongst themselves for a moment, before turning to the boy, with Leni speaking for them all, "Like, we'd totes love to watch!"

And with that, Lincoln steps forward, with the young Louds standing right by his side, "All right, what's the game?"

The carney points his cane towards a stack of bottles across the booth, "Just knock down one of these here piles and you'll win a prize!"

The boy rubs his chin for a moment, before shrugging and placing the payment on the table, "All right them, I'll bite." He then looks back at the girls, "Here I go!"

Then, he takes a ball and throws… missing it squarely by five inches to the right.

"Aww." The girls groan in disappointment.

"Don't worry, you've got two more throws!" The carney can't help but chuckle at the sight.

Lincoln nodded, _"Come on, you can do it!"_ He tells himself, before readjusting his throw, causing it to veer off in the opposite direction, missing his target… as well as causing the carney to jump out of the way.

"Haha! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were aiming for my head so you could rob me blind!" He speaks with a joking tone.

Lincoln, meanwhile, takes the final ball in hand and simply stares at the target, _"Dangit! I'm about to waste my money and fail!"_

"Don't worry Lincoln! You can do it!" Lori shouts, followed by the other girls shouting in agreement.

The boy looks back at the girls and nods, _"I can do this, I can do this…"_ He then takes a deep breath and pulls back, before throwing his final piece of ordinance.

The ball flies through the air for a moment, before crashing into the three bottles, knocking them down.

A stunned air surrounds them for a short moment, before Lincoln flares his arms in excitement, "I did it!"

"Haha! You did!" Luna runs over and hugs him, with the rest of the girls following.

"Haha!" The carney laughs, before walking up, "You've won a prize, so what would you like?" The man motions towards his wall a goodies of all shapes and sizes.

Lola quickly steps forward, "I say get that!" She points towards a tiara.

While her twin points to a small batch of frog-like toys, though neither surprises him.

Lincoln, however, simply smiles, "I'll pick that." He points at a small, star-shaped brass object.

"A Locket, huh?" The carney smiles, "All right, heh, all right." Before he hands it over to the boy.

"Huh, a locket?" Lori goes in confusion, "Don't you have one already?"

Lincoln nods in response, "Yeah, but I'm gonna use this to make new memories, after all…" He turns to face them, "You can't have an old locket hold onto new memories."

"Actually…" Lisa tries to cut in, only to wave herself off, "Oh, you know what? I'll let it pass. I suppose something like this is more meaningful them I am letting it be."

The boy chuckles, before hugging the girls, and continuing onward through the park.

A few feet back, however, Lynn approaches the same booth and places a five on the table, "I wanna shot."

The carney stares at the girl for a moment, "These bottles and ball are rigged so it's hard to win…" He steps over to the wall, "You destroyed my son's team last week… you'd probably win, what prize do you want?"

Lynn chuckles, before pointing.

Back with Lincoln and the others, they now stand in front of a small booth with several pigs, as well as a carney with a cane stirring up a small crowd to gain interest.

"Just guess the critter's weight and you get a prize!" The man declares, before pointing towards a random pig.

Quickly, Lisa pulls out a calculator, "Ok, all I have to do is-"

"He's fifteen point three-five-eight pounds." Lana declares, crossing her arms and putting a smile on as she does so… as well as eliciting stares from her siblings. The young girl shrugs, "What? I know my pigs!"

And as a prize, they all got udder hats, while Lana got a plush of Tippy the cow, though she gives this to Lincoln as thanks for the strange plush he had won her.

 _ **Later…**_

With their Dairy-filled trip finished for the day, the young Louds pile back into the family van and drive off once again.

"Heh, man, that was fun." Lincoln chuckles, before leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah!" Lana adds, "We should go again!"

"I know it is strange, but…" Lisa adjusts her glass, "I had… fun today!"

"Don't worry about it." Luan pats the young scientist's back, "After all you've got an **udder** of a time coming soon!"

"I just wish I got more milk." Lola pats her face, "That stuff does wonders for your complexion."

"Really?!" Leni breaks free of her nausea and confusion and grabs Lola's hands, "That sounds awesome!"

"Haha!" Rita laughs, "I guess today was memorable, huh?"

"It literally was." Lori chuckles.

After that, silence overtakes the car, with none of the girls sure just what to say next… well, until Lori breaks the silence with, "Heh, so when was the last time you came to Dairyland?"

For a moment, Lincoln remains silent, unsure of just how to answer. Yet, from the pained expression he puts on, the girls can tell, it is a painful memory, causing them to cringe, while Lynn Sr. hits his head against the wheel, _"Dangit, we brought him to his family's metaphorical grave!"_ Before he looks up again.

Undeterred, Rita continues, "Still, did you have a good time?"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, heh, it's the best time I've had in years…" He whispers. Lincoln turns, and looks out the passenger side window with that. The cool summer sun radiates into the car while beginning its slow descent into the darkness of the night. And yet a familiar feeling begins to fill his body.

Before he knows it, he begins to sing, "Summer in the hills… those hazy days are to remember." His gaze falls upon a small hill, right passed the forest, "We were running still… had the whole world at our feet."

With that, he turns and faces Luna, with the musician strumming softly to accompany him, "Watching seasons change, her roads were lined with adventure." A soft strength fills his voice, while passion follows soon after, "Mountains in the way, but didn't keep us from the sea. Here we stand up in arms, this is home where we are, ever strong, in the world that we made."

Then, he pulls out his locket and opens it up, "I still hear you in the breeze, see you shadows in the trees, holding on… memories, never change…" Soft tears begin to stream down his cheeks after that.

"Lincoln…" Luna whispers, wrapping an arm around the boy as she does so.

"That was a beautiful song…" Rita can't help, but begin to tear up herself, "Where did you hear it?"

"It was the last song my mom sang to me." He answers, eliciting worried expressions from his companions. And yet, Lincoln simply smiles, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thanks for everything you guys."

Leni places a hand on his shoulder, "No problem, Linc-"

Suddenly, everything starts to slow down, while a loud *Crash* echoes through the sunset day. In response, Lincoln blacks out.

* * *

A few moments later, the young boy opens his eyes once more, making sure to pull his face from the mud he had landed in, _"Ugh, what happened?"_ He forces himself out of the mud, with his arms providing support, allowing his gaze to fall upon something he had long since hoped not to see again.

The Loud Family's Van had crashed into a tree and now smoke was beginning to fill its cabin.

Suddenly, the realization hit him. When the driver crashed into them, the loose belt buckle had given way, allowing him to fly out the open passenger-side window, causing him to crash land in puddle of mud- thankfully breaking his fall.

"N-no, everybody!" He shouts, confusion beginning to fill his body.

" _Why don't you face facts Lincoln, you'll never be happy!"_ The voice cuts through his panicked thoughts, _"Keep looking! See what happens when you try to be happy for yourself?! You just bring misery and pain wherever you go! You should just slink back to the orphanage and spend the rest of your life helping other get what you never will be! Or, better yet, just curl up here and die! You worthless, pathetic waste of-"_

" _No."_ He thinks in response, curling his fists up as he does so, his heart following his lead by beginning to race.

" _What?"_

"I am not letting this happen again!" He slams his hand into the mud, using it as a balance to force himself onto his feet.

" _But, you-"_

"Shut it." Lincoln counters without hesitation, "Those girls came even though I'm an orphan and they decided to spend all their time, everything they could to bond with me!" He can feel determination flow through his veins, "I don't know who you are, because you're not me. You're the lies I've been telling myself all these years and I'm done with you! Those girls are never going to abandon me…" He steels his gaze and readies himself, "Because I'm never going to let them go!"

Now, Lincoln had heard what adrenaline can do to a person. It is the magical hormone that can turn the weak and frail into strong madmen for just a few short minutes. Now of course, they would in order to save a child from getting crushed by a car or to stand up to intruders in order to protect his family.

And within seconds, Lincoln knows the feeling first-hand.

In a blitz, he ignores the shooting pain echoing from his injured ankles. Without hesitation, he grabs the door's broken lock and pulls, revealing the cabin of Vanzilla. The twelve family members are all present, tHugh, he can't tell if some still barely conscious and if others knocked out cold.

" _First, the baby."_ Lincoln quickly hops over Lori and grabs onto Lily's car seat. The young infant cries out in fear and yet when her eyes fall upon Lincoln's reassuring face, she quiets down.

"Shh… don't worry Lily. Your big brother Lincoln is gonna get you out, ok?" He whispers, easily uncoupling the lock and pulling her from the seat as he does so.

Smoke begins to fill his nostrils, causing him to feel ever so light headed as he climbs out and drops Lily just a few feet away.

"Ugh." Groans echo in the smoky heat of the car.

" _Good, some of them are still conscious."_ Lincoln thinks, before he rushes back into the scene. This time, he unlocks Luna and Luan from their buckles, helping them out as he does so.

Lori and Leni are also conscious – the latter more so than the former- and simply need Lincoln to help them out.

Lisa is able to pull herself out once her senses return, while Lincoln hoists the twins over his shoulders and gets them out as well. Lynn and Lucy are unconscious as well, and Lincoln pulls them out at the same time.

With that done, the boy turned back and forced the passenger-side door open, easily unbuckling Rita from the car and pulling her to safety, leaving only Lynn Sr. behind.

At this point, small sparks are beginning to fly from the engine. A fire could start at any moment! _"I gotta get him out of here!"_ Lincoln jumps into Rita's former seat and attempts to unbuckle Lynn Sr by tapping away at the belt lock.

Yet, the device doesn't release.

" _Dangit!"_ Lincoln immediately thinks, darting his head from side to side for a moment, _"I gotta find a way!_ "

" _Just give up! You can't save him!"_ More smoke begins to fill the cabin after that, clouding the boy's mind further, while the overheating dash board begins to burn the boy's arm, _"I gotta get out."_ He looks up that that, _"Wait… this car is old! That means…"_ He braces his arm and pulls back, _"Please work!"_ Before he punches the already cracked glass and yet, the glass doesn't give way, rather it cuts his hands.

" _I gotta get him out…"_ Suddenly, the small weight around his neck begins to make itself known, _"Wait… I know!"_ and with that, he shoves his hand in his shirt and pulls, easily freeing the locket fro its chain, _"Please don't be stupidly dull!"_

"Ugh…" The man groans, "You gotta… save the girls…"

"I already did." He whispered, gasping for air as he does so, before he secures the locket's sharpest end in his hand and begins to saw away at the seat belt. His vision begins to fade with that, while the strength he had begin granted begins to falter, _"You've failed. You can't save-"_

Suddenly, an arm wraps around him and grabs onto this hand. He looks up, only to find Lori helping him, "Come on! We have to get him out!" On the other side, Luna and Luan open the door, grabbing onto their father as they do so.

More determination filled the boy's body, with Lori holding on, he uses the last of his strength to cut through the belt, freeing the man from his bonds, as well a allowing his daughters to pull him from the wreckage.

After that, Lori helps the boy come over to the waiting family, with the rest of the girls slowly coming to their senses.

Now, Lincoln has cuts and burns from the rescue- as well as bruises from when he as flung from Vanzilla. To a normal person, handling these would be top priority. And yet Lincoln pays them no mind, choosing instead to ask, "Is everyone all right?"

Lori nods, "You did it Lincoln. You saved us." She then throws her arms around him in a hug.

"Heh… I did it…" He whispers, the adrenaline that had forced his body to keep going, despite the odds finally begins to wane, causing his vision to grow dark.

The rest of the girls soon follow, crowding around him as the do so, surrounding him in the largest hug they can create, before releasing him.

"I love you guys…" He whispers, before closing his eyes, and falling back.

"Lincoln!"

6-18-15-13 15-14-5 6-1-13-9-12-25 20-15 1-14-15-20-8-5-18 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 8-1-19 19-5-5-14 2-15-20-8 5-14-4 21-16 9-14 1-3-3-9-4-5-14-20-19. 2-21-20 20-15 19-1-22-5 15-14-5, 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 8-1-19 7-15-14-5 9-14-20-15 6-9-18-5

 **A/N Man, I finally got to this scene! I have been planning on writing it ever since I came up with this story and man, I love the result! Anyways, I thank Wolvenstrom for helping me out, if it wasn't for his work, I would still be suffering from writer's block!**

 **Seriously, I had three tests in the span of two days! I literally had a headache the day after! (Said day is also the day that I write these chapters). And then Chris Savino got fired from Nick, while Jump-Around-Jump-Jump got taken down! But hey, we've just gotta keep goin' on. I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Also, next chapter deals with Lincoln's past, I wonder who can guess what happens in it!**

 **Songs Used:  
** **TheFatRat - Monody (feat. Laura Brehm) Link: (YouTube)** **v=B7xai5u_tnk  
TheFatRat - "Fly Away feat. Anjulie" Link: (YouTube) v=cMg8KaMdDYo**

 **Guest Responses (C15):**

 **Guest: I hope this chapter makes it clear what their real intentions were!**


	17. Finding A Lost Past

**A/N Hey guys, how's life? Me, I'm dealin' with some random ideas and school! Luckily, this was one of the 7 chapters I wrote earlier, which made this chapter way easier to write! Also, I should've mention this earlier, but guys, some of the Louds are younger (Age-wise at least) because this is supposed to take place before the events of the show proper. I'm just making sure that's clear.**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Seventeen: Finding A Lost Past

" _Ugh…"_ Slowly, Lincoln tries to open his eyes, _"What happened?"_ And yet, he finds his eyelids unwilling to give way to his command. Instinctually, he tries to groan, only to find that his mouth refuses to obey as well. _"What's going on?!"_

Panic begins to fill his body, _"Where is everyone? Where am I? Why can't I open my eyes?!"_ His breathing hastens, allowing a strange smell to fill his nostrils, _"Wait… is that… alcohol?"_ if his heart were not already beating as quickly as it could it would no doubt speed up to compensate for the fear beginning to weigh down upon him.

"Move out of the way!" A man shouts, before a loud *bang* echoes in his ears.

" _I have to find what's happening."_ The boy steels his resolve, _"I need to see if the girls are all right! Or at least where I am!"_ And so, with all of the focus his exhausted body can muster, he forces his eyes to open ever so slightly.

Suddenly, the harsh lamps attack his eyes, nearly forcing him to shut them once more. However, his willpower proves strong enough to force their opening, allowing his gaze to fall upon a strange man dressed in a light blue shirt pushing the gurney along. He would take note of his pants, but notices that he can't move his head. _"I'm… I'm in a hospital?"_

Quickly, another man- this one dressed in a white lab coat and a white polo shirt- rushes to his side and joins them, "What are we lookin' at here, John?"

"Minor, age eleven." The man- whom Lincoln assumes to be an EMT- responds, "Passed out from smoke inhalation, with minor cuts and burns as well…" He notices the man glance down, "Those ankles don't look that good either."

"Poor kid…" The man responds, glancing at the boy as he does so, before turning back to the EMT, "Know how he ended up like this?"

"Bystanders told me he got thrown from a car crash and somehow mustered the strength to rush in and save them…" He pauses for a moment, as if trying to grab onto his thoughts, "He probably breathed in a lot of smoke." The EMT continues to squeeze a strange plastic tube, though in his exhaustion, Lincoln can't really tell where it leads.

For a moment, the man- whom Lincoln assumes to be a doctor- stares at the boy, concern filling his gaze, before he looks back at the EMT, "Are you sure? This kid doesn't look strong enough to pull someone from a car."

"Doc, you've known me for years, you know I don't BS about what I've heard." The EMT's voice fills with sincerity. "Currently, from what I've seen, his body is reeling from adrenaline and smoke exposure."

" _I… I did it."_ Lincoln mentally smiles, _"I saved them… I saved my family… I think at least…"_ he feels the gurney turn, only to stop in some random corner. _"I guess they-"_ Yet, before he can finish his exhausted thought, what seems to be an army of nurses rush to his aid, working quickly to tend to his injuries.

"Please, what's going on with our son?" A familiar voice resonates through the chaotic scene.

" _Is that… Mr. Loud?"_ The boy forces his gaze to move to his side, allowing it to fall upon several figures waiting nearby.

"Please!" A woman begs, "We need to see him!"

" _Ms. Loud?"_ For a moment, Lincoln hesitates.

"Please!" Several voices follow, before their disjointed cries fill the room.

" _They came for me…"_ He thinks, before mentally smiling once again, _"They're my family… I saved them and they saved me…"_ Suddenly, the boy can feel everything grow dark, before he shuts his eyes once more.

* * *

" _Ahh, what a dream…"_ Slowly, the young boy opens his eyes, _"It's like I was really there."_ For a moment, he lies there, simply contemplating his next move. For many, mornings such as this are exhausting, and this young boy is no exception. Rather than stand up and move to begin the day, he simply smiles and tucks himself under his sheets further- choosing to enjoy the heat they provide.

Or well, he would… if a certain sound doesn't echo through the soft, morning air.

*Beep!* *Beep!* *Beep!* *Beep!*

The boy's eyes slowly open once more, before he raises his hand and slams it down upon the alarm clock, _"Heh, well, I guess I gotta get up anyway."_ He smiles. As much as he doesn't like to admit it, he is the morning person between him and his twin sibling.

With that, he turns in the bed, bringing his feet down to the floor as he does so, _"All right, I just gotta figure out what to do today."_ Slowly, he turns, and gazes out the nearby window. Soft sunlight filters through the barrier, illuminating the room for its two occupants, as well as filling it with a soft, warm atmosphere. _"It's beautiful today. I can't wait to play outside!"_

He stands up after that and turns. A small, Blarney-Themed calendar hands on the room's door, with the day's date circled with red ink. Suddenly, the young boy's eyes go wide, _"Wait, is today the day?!"_ The young boy's heart races in surprise as he rushes over to the piece of paper. _"It is!"_ He immediately turns to the young girl sharing the room with him, before shouting, "Liberty, wake up! It's our birthday!"

"Zzz." His sister snores in response.

" _Heh, of course she wouldn't wake up yet."_ The boy chuckles, before strolling to her side, "You've always been a heavy sleeper." He leans in and whispers, "Heck, if we ever shared a bed, I could probably get out in the middle of the night, and you wouldn't realize it till mornin'!"

She continues to snore in response, eliciting a smile from her brother.

"Hmm," Lincoln rubs his chin, before snapping his fingers, "Ok then, if you don't wanna get up the easy way, I'll have to do it the hard way!" He straightens his back and stands at attention for a moment, before turning to face his sister's head. Then, with robotic and precise movements, he takes hold of the pillow her fragile head rests on, and pulls.

Now, must people would immediately wake up. After all, people don't take kindly to having their head suddenly jerk in their sleep. But Liberty is an exception. Immediately, his sister's head hits the soft bed… and she continues to sleep as if nothing had happened.

"Well dangit." Lincoln goes, before rubbing his chin. "How to wake up my extremely heavy sleep sister up?" He snaps his finger, before running into the nearby closet. Without hesitation, he digs through its contents and pulls out a small, light blue stuffed horse with a rainbow mane and wings. _"This should work."_ Wordlessly, he raises his finger and licks it, before touching it to the Pegasus' side.

"Lincoln!" Liberty jolts to her feet and grabs the stuffed animal from him, smacking him as soon as it is freed from his grasp, "What the heck are you doing?!"

"Heh, just gettin' you up sis." The boy chuckles, rubbing his cheek as he does so, "You know you sleep harder than a rock, right?"

Liberty's face goes red in embarrassment, "So?! That doesn't mean you get to lick my princess ponies!"

"I didn't lick it." The boy chuckles in response, "But if it gets you up, I think I'll do it next time."

"Eww!" The girl grimaces in disgust.

"Haha!" He then throws his arm around her, "Besides, you don't wanna miss today, do ya?!"

"Huh?" Liberty raises an eyebrow and tilts her head in confusion. "What's today?"

"It's our birthday!" He answers, flailing his arms at his sides as he does so, "Today's the day dad is gonna take us to Dairyland!"

"Really?!" Her eyes go wide in shock. "We're finally old enough for Dairyland?!"

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, now come on! Mom's probably downstairs makin' breakfast!" He turns and sprints away, "Last one down gets to eat a rotten egg!"

"Hey, no fair!" Liberty chuckles, before giving chase to her brother, allowing both of them to rush down the home's stairs.

Once they reach the kitchen, they find their father- a small man with pure white hair, in a long-sleeved button-down and tie- waiting for them. "Hi kids."

"Mornin' dad!" Lincoln responds, while Liberty turns and runs over to the sink and greets their mother- a stout woman with soft, light blonde hair. "Mornin' mom."

"Heh, you two are sure excited today." Their father quips with a smile, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think it were Christmas!"

"But that's what it's like!" Lincoln flares his arms for emphasis, "We're goin' to Dairyland today!"

He raises an eyebrow, "Oh really now?" Before he lovingly rubs his son's short, white hair, "If we're goin' today, then that can only mean one thing." Liberty comes over to his side, before the man picks up the two soon-to-be six-year-olds and places them on his lap, "That means my twins here, are growin' up!"

"Yeah dad!" Liberty smiles, running over to the man as she does so "Today's our birthday!"

"We're six-years-old now!" Lincoln shouts as well, only to follow that up by flailing her arms in excitement.

"Come'ere you two!" Their father smiles and pulls them into a small hug, with the twins doing their best to surround him. "You to are getting bigger by the day! Haha! Soon I don't think I'll be able to carry ya!"

*Yawn* "What's the commotion about?" Another young woman enters the dining room; her messy blonde hair reaches her lower back. "I mean, isn't it Saturday? Why's everyone up so early?"

"It's our birthday today!" Liberty answers in a way only a five-turning-on-six-year-old can do.

The young woman smiles, "Huh, ok then." She yawns once more, "Do you guys have anything planned for today?"

"Yes." Their mother turns around, plates of bacon and eggs in hand, "We're goin' to Dairyland!" She smiles at the teen, "How about you go get your brother? He's probably still asleep."

Their sister yawns once more, "Fine. Max really needs to set his alarm though!" She then turns and heads upstairs. A few moments pass, before their final family member descends- a young man with slightly darker blonde hair comes down and joins them.

"Man, things must be serious." The young man's voice cuts through the room's softness. He yawns and rubs the twins' hair, "What'd I miss, everyone?"

"Nothing yet, Max." His father chuckles, "But your mother and I wanted to get everyone ready to go to Dairyland early today. You know how bad those lines get when you come late!"

The family shivers at the thought of having to wait in one of Dairyland's infamous near-mile-long lines, though the title is just a metaphor, everyone who has visited the park knows just how close that is to reality.

The young man rubs his chin for a quick moment, "Hmm, a trip to Dairyland, huh?" He smiles, and squats between the two, "That could only mean one thing!" He wraps his arms around the twins- who respond by hugging him back, "My baby siblings have a birthday today!"

"Yeah!" Lincoln flares his arms, "I can't wait to be six!"

Yet, not to be outdone by her brother, Liberty flares her arms as well, "Yeah, now we get to finally play with the big kid toys!"

"I already have ideas for them!" Lincoln continues.

Yet, none of it really matters to their brother, who chooses instead to simply smile, "That sounds great, you two." He stands up, "Dad, is everything set up?"

The man closes his newspaper and nods, "Yes. Your mother and I want you and Alexis to eat breakfast and then help the twins get ready, ok?"

Max nods, before taking a seat across from the twins, with Alexis taking a seat next to him- albeit with a cup of coffee in hand.

"All right dad, all right." The young woman takes a sip, and immediately perks up- though much to her dismay, the twins finish eating their breakfast after that.

"Race you upstairs, Lincy?" The young girl asks.

"Yeah!" The young boy counters, "last one there has to shower first!" Before the duo hops out of their chairs and rushes up their home stairs, leaving their family simply sitting in joy.

A few moments after that, the two young children reach their room- with Lincoln just narrowly beating his sister into it, "Haha! I win! That means that you gotta shower first!"

The white-haired girl pouts for a short moment, before sighing, "Fine." She playfully punches his arm, before undressing herself and grabbing a nearby towel. She stands by their front door for a moment, before turning back to face her brother.

"Lincoln, can you…" Liberty awkwardly rubs her arm, "You know…" She looks away in embarrassment, "Share the shower with me?"

For a moment, the young boy is tempted to hold his sister to the unofficial rules of their shower race, though instead Lincoln smiles, "Anything for my sis." He quickly strips and grabs his towel as well, before together, they walk into the bathroom, and bathe together. Not only saving water, but also time that could be spent at Dairyland!

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

After they getting ready, the family heads out onto the road. The town of Royal Woods seems so simple and yet so open for young minds, like their own, to ponder. Though, soon enough the quiet, sleepy tower fades into the surrounding forest, signaling that they are on their way.

Now, for this small family, car rides are typically not too chaotic- especially given how their older children prefer to stay quiet, while their mother knows just how to put her younger children to sleep just before they head off, allowing some peace and quiet to what is to be a loud day.

And after an hour of driving, the small family van comes upon its destination- a small, milk-themed park situated just a few miles from the nearest town.

"All right kids, we're here." The young mother declares, before motioning for their older children to wake up the younger ones. "You know how, right?"

"Course mom!" Alexis waves her mother off, before turning and simply shaking Lincoln, bringing him back to his senses… as well as causing him to push his younger sister ever so slightly, causing her to wake up as well.

"Ugh, Lincoln, what happened?" The young girl rubs her exhausted head. To think, just an hour prior, she was jumping off the walls, now both she and her brother had found a way to fall asleep on their birthday!

"We're here." Max declares."

Instantly, the twins' eyes go wide in surprise, before Liberty shouts, her voice filling with excitement, "I can't wait to ride everything!"

"Haha!" Their father chuckles, "Ok kids, don't get separated now." His voice fills with a fatherly care, "And remember to watch your backs, you never know when an accident is just waiting to happen!"

"Whatever." Their older son goes, while their daughter nonchalantly shrugs.

"Now Alexis and Max, watch out for Lincoln and Liberty, ok?" Their mother continues, worry filling her expression, "We're letting you two take them around because I know that if we did, we'd end up stopping them at every turn."

"Hey, don't worry." Max grabs hold of the van's door and opens it up, allowing him and his siblings to step out, "We've done stuff like this before, just a short trip to Dairyland isn't gonna be a problem." With that said, he makes sure to grab a hold of Lincoln's hand… just to make sure the little ball of energy doesn't wander off, while Alexis grabs onto Liberty's hand.

"Ok kids, go have fun!" Their mother commands, "Your father and I are going to go look for a parking and come in after you!"

"Got it, mom!" Alexis gives her a thumbs up with that, prompting the two parents to nod, before driving off, leaving the four children alone.

"Heh, now how about we-" Max tries to start. Yet, while he does so, Lincoln pulls his hand out from his older brother's grip, and turns, "I'm gonna go ride everything first, Libby!" Before he bolts towards the park's opening.

Suddenly, the young man's eyes go wide in shock, "Lincoln!" Prompting him to give chase to his brother, leaving the two girls by themselves.

"Hehe." Liberty pulls on Alexis' grip as well, trying to beat her brother to the punch, yet, unlike her inattentive brother, Alexis holds on as tightly as she can, making sure that she would not break free. "Looks like Lincy and Max are getting away."

"Yes, yes they are." The young woman readies herself, "How about we go catch up? After all, we can't let them go have all the fun!"

The duo nods at each other, before chasing after their brothers.

A few moments later, the young, white-haired boy stops at a fork in the road, with one path leading up and another heading down. _"Hmm, now which one do I take?"_ He rubs his chin in contemplation, _"They both have fun-"_

"Lincoln!" Max rushes over to his side, though his does a good job hiding his exhaustion from the unexpected run.

"Hey Max!" The young boy cheerfully responds, though Max answers by grabbing his arm and waving his finger at him, "Don't run like that! You could get lost!" He then holds Lincoln's hand, "And you don't wanna get lost, do you?"

For a moment, the young boy hesitates, _"I didn't think before running off…"_ He sighs, before shaking head, "No… I'm sorry…"

Max pats his arm, "Good, now let's wait for our sisters to catch up, ok?"

Lincoln nods in response.

Then, the young man stands up and looks around, only for his phone to go off. "What the…" Quickly, he pulls the device from his pocket and answers.

"Hey Max!" Alexis greets.

"Yeah, sis?" Max raises an eyebrow in confusion, "We're by the fork just up ahead, are you-"

"You two go on ahead." The young woman declares, "Liberty and I are gonna go enjoy some rides, ok? You have fun with Lincoln and we'll meet up later."

The young man shrugs, "All right." Before he hangs up the phone and turns to his little brother, "Heh, well then, it looks like it's just you and me today, all right?"

Lincoln's eyes light up. In a home as small and as close as theirs, it would be rare that the young men of the family would be able to spend some quality time without their sisters and parents being with them.

"So what do you wanna do?" He runs his hand through his little brother's white hair and smiles at him.

For a moment, Lincoln looks around. They're surrounded by countless rides and games designed for people of all ages. _"What should we go on?"_ Suddenly, a large tower with a massive slide comes into view, "How about that one?" He points.

And his brother smiles, "Ok."

And so, a few moments later, both him and his brother stand at the top of the tower, waiting for the lifeguard to push their raft down the long, yellow tube.

Lincoln shivers, _"Why'd I suggest this one? It's so high and I have to hold on for so long!"_

"Hey Lincoln, you ok?" Max tilts his head in curiosity.

Lincoln quickly nods, desperate to put up a façade of strength in front of his brother.

Though, he isn't easily convinced.

For a moment, Max considers his options, _"I could make him hold on there, but if he is as afraid as he looks, I'm sure he's gonna lose his grip pretty easily."_ Suddenly, his eyes go wide in realization, "Hey Lincoln, wanna sit in my lap?"

"W-what?" He looks at his brother in confusion.

"For safety. Ya know, so you can hold onto me instead of the raft." He holds up and flexes one of his biceps, "I'll definitely be able to hold onto both you and the raft.

Now, to many, the mere idea of this would be embarrassing- after all, only babies sat in someone's lap while they rode along. And yet, Lincoln finds himself smiling and crawling over to his brother, willingly sitting in his lap.

The young man placed a soft, yet strong arm around him and smiled, before the lifeguard takes a hold of their raft and pushes them along, causing the duo to scream in excitement.

 _ **Later...**_

"Those were fun, don't ya think guys?" Alexis looks at the two twins in their care.

"We loved it!" Lincoln shouts.

"Best birthday gift ever!" Liberty adds, turning to face one of the nearby booths as she does so. "Ooo!" A small, golden pendent catches her eye; it's no doubt made of brass painted to be gold. Liberty tugs at her sister's arm, "Alexis!"

"Yes?" She looks down at her sister.

"Can we get that?" She points at the locket.

Alexis immediately looks at her brother, who proceeds to shrug in response, "I don't mind." He looks down and nudges his little brother, "Do you mind Lincoln?"

"Not at all!" The boy cheers, pulling on his brother's arm as he does so, "I wanna win it too!"

The two elder siblings chuckle, while their brother quips, "You two sure know how to have fun around here." Before their sister adds, "Heh, I guess that's why mom and dad have trouble always keeping you in check!" And after that, the siblings approach the booth.

"Step right up!" The carney- a strange man with a wrinkled face, wearing a white and red plaid shirt, as well as sporting a weird wooden cane and barber's hat- motions for them to come along, "It's time to have some fun playing carnival games!" With that, he drops three baseballs on the table in front of him.

"What game is this?" Max takes hold of one of the balls.

The carney uses his cane to motion towards the stacks of bottles, "Just knock down the bottles and win a prize! Only five bucks for three balls!"

"How many do we have to knock down to win that?" Liberty climbs up to the counter and points at the locket.

The carney gets on one knee and whispers, "For you, little lady, just knock down one of em and I'll hand it over!"

Liberty's face beams with excitement as he hands the balls over. She quickly takes one in hand and throws it… yet; sadly it misses its mark by about three feet.

"Aww." Liberty goes, turning to her brother as she does so, "How about you Linc? You should throw one!"

Lincoln smiles, "Sure sis!" And the carney hands him the second ball. "Here I go!" He winds up, his arm in the way only a child would, before throwing. This time the ball comes close to its target… missing it by three feet in the other direction.

"Aww, I missed." Lincoln pouts, looking down at the ground in defeat, _"Dangit!"_

Max and Alexis turn to each other and nod, before the young woman asks, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

In response, the boy simply turns and gets on one knee, "Hey, " He looks into his twin siblings' eyes, "Why don't you two throw it together?"

Alexis continues, leaning on the young man as she does so, "After all, it looks like your throws were perfect mirrors of each other."

Lincoln and Liberty look at each other, "Ok!" then, the twins interlock their hands- Lincoln right and Liberty's left, before Max puts the ball in them. "K guys, throw!"

The twins both nod, before together, they throw the ball at the stack of bottles, hitting them and causing them to fall to the ground.

"We did it!" Liberty cheers, throwing her arms around her brother as she does so, "Thanks Lincoln."

"Heh, no problem sis!" Lincoln responds with the same.

The carney doesn't hesitate to take the locket from its resting place and hand it to the girl… who promptly opens it.

"Aww… there's no picture…" Liberty goes.

Max pulls out his wallet and takes out a small picture of their family, "Will this work Liberty?"

"Yes!" She cheers as the boy places it in her locket, and returns the container to her.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"So did you enjoy the trip kids?" Their mother asks as they get in the car.

"Yeah!" Lincoln responds, "It was awesome!"

"What about you, Liberty?" Their father continues.

Liberty holds up her new necklace, "I loved it! I got this cool locket too!"

The parents look at their older siblings, wordlessly prodding them to explain themselves.

"We won it." Max shrugs, before waving the duo off, "And don't worry, we only spent five bucks on it." He rubs the siblings' heads, "After all, it's more fun and meaningful when you earn something, ya know."

"Heh, you learned." The man chuckles, "That gives me even more stuff to be happy about today."

"Well then, we have one stop left and then we'll go home, ok kids?" Their mother cuts in, "Buckle up!" before she playfully punches her husband's arm, "You can have your nostalgia trip later."

"Ok, ok." He laughs, before setting the car in drive.

The children comply and fasten their seatbelts, before the small family gets on the road again.

"So what's next mom?" Lincoln asks, tilting his head in confusion. "We went to Dairyland and stuff…"

"Why, the party of course!" She answers, her voice filling with excitement. "There's gonna be cake!"

The twins turn to each other and smile, before cheering, "Cake!"

Lincoln faces forward, "Will it be chocolate?!"

"Haha!" Their mother laughs, "It'll be chocolate and strawberry! Your favorites!"

"Awesome!" Liberty cheers are well.

Max looks back at his siblings, "But, you gotta behave or else you won't get your presents too!"

"Got it." The twins sit back into their seats.

Their father then turns onto the clear Route 107. The sunset glows on their right, illuminating the car with soft, red light.

The glowing star at his side, catches the young boy's eye, and he turns and leans up against the window and taps his sister, "Liberty, look!"

"Whoa…" The young girl goes, leaning up against the window next to him.

"Calm down you two." Their mother calmly orders, and they comply by doing so.

A soft silence of the van overtakes the family. Bringing a peaceful calm to the vehicle. The wheels growl squeal as they move against the hard road, filling the cabin with their soft song.

And so, the woman takes a breath, "Summer in the hills, those hazy days are to remember!" She sings, her voice filling with a motherly grace, "We were runnin' still, had the whole world at our feet! Watching seasons change; our roads were lined with adventure! Mountains in the way, couldn't keep us from the sea." Her voice fills with a softness that lulls her youngest children into the slumber they so desire to fight off. And yet, her voice enthralls them to accept it. "Here we stand open arms, this is home where we are, ever strong in the world that we made…" She turns back and simply gazes upon her four children. Max and Alexis sit in the front row, while the twins sit in the back.

"I still hear you in the breeze, see you shadows in the trees, holding on, memories never change." She finishes, her voice giving off a soft, motherly air.

Their father looks away from the road and smiles, "That was nice honey. Which song was that?"

"Monody." She looks away as well, and towards her husband.

They both glance back, only to find their children now calm, their soft gazes looking upon their parents.

Suddenly, *Crash!*

A car veers off course and smashes head-on to their van. Causing Lincoln to black out.

"Ugh…" The young boy groans as he pulls himself from the mud, _"W-what happened?"_ He looks around for a moment, allowing his gaze to fall upon the wreckage of their family car. _"Where am I?!"_ His heart begins to race, _"This can't be happening!"_

"Lincoln!" A familiar voice calls out.

Suddenly, the young boy's eyes go wide in shock, "Liberty!" he counters, desperately trying to force himself to his feet. _"Don't bother, you won't be able to save her!"_

And yet, when he tries, his legs give way, causing him to falls to the ground. _"See?! You're too weak to do anything! Just watch her die!"_

"Lincy, please help me!" She shouts. From what the young boy can see, the car is beginning to engulf in flames.

In response, the young boy claws at the ground, desperately pulling him towards her. "No… Liberty…"

And yet, before he can reach her, his vision grows dark, while she screams his name in fear. "Lincoln!"

* * *

Slowly, Lincoln opens his eyes once more. Unlike the previous scene, he finds himself in a hospital bed, with a set of soft sheets covering his body. _"What happened?"_

Weakly- though admittedly less so than before- he glances around. Now, there is a syringe buried in his right arm, while his left is wrapped in bandages. _"I'm… in a hospital again?"_ He tries to turn his head further, only to feel a plastic tube stop it from moving. Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes go wide in shock, _"There's a plastic tube in my throat?! What's going on?!"_ His heart begins to race, causing the nearby monitor to start beeping loudly.

"Lincoln!" A familiar voice shouts, before his body is surrounded by the worried gazes of the ten girls whom he had grown to care for.

Before he knows it, what seems to be an army of nurses rushes into the room, before one of them grabs onto the other end of the syringe in his arm and injects a needle into it. "Calm down…" Another one whispers, placing a soft hand on his abdomen as she does so, "You're going to be all right."

"We're glad to have you around." He hears of them go, though given his state, he can't really tell who said it… _"Unless they all said it."_

And with that, Lincoln's world grows dark once more.

* * *

Suddenly, Lincoln finds himself sitting in the back of an unfamiliar car, with his sister clinging onto his side.

" _Just stay calm Lincoln, just stay calm…"_ He thinks, while returning his sister's embrace, "Don't worry Libby… we're going to be fine…" His pained voice falls into a whisper, though he would rather not be reminded by the accident, which claimed his parents just a few weeks prior.

Instead of responding, Liberty simply looks up at her brother with a fear-filled gaze that screams, "Please, don't leave me!"

The young boy responds to the silent cry by enveloping her in his arms. Now, to most this would be seen as simply an older brother doing his best to care for his defeated sister… but they both know that they hurt inside. "Hey Libby, don't worry." He whispers, eliciting the slightly younger girl's attention. "Every little thing's gonna be all right. Mom and dad and Alexis and Max would want us to be happy."

Yet, the young girl simply continues to sniffle, as if nothing her brother could say would be enough to put her at ease.

Lincoln sighs in response, before fighting the fear building in the pit of his stomach and turning to face the window. Outside the small car, the town of Royal Woods passes by- seemingly unchanged despite the residents that had left and come to take their place.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your loss." Their driver- an old social worker with dark skin- speaks with a soft tone. Deep down, the boy can tell that she wished to talk about her line of work.

" _She doesn't mean it."_ Lincoln thinks in response.

"But, I was able to get you placed in a group home for the time being. You'll be living with other orphans until we can find a new family for you two." The fake sorrow in her voice is instantly replaced by an uncaring nonchalance. Neither child is surprised however. Ever since the accident, they had been passed around social worker to social worker while they tried to find a place to live. On more than one occasion, they had seen their handler drinking from a flask and ending up more intoxicated than one should be in front of children.

" _No family can replace the one we lost."_ The boy thinks in response, while the girl simply closes her eyes, allowing the boy's heat to envelope her, using it to calm her down, _"Liberty is the only family I have left."_

"Try to behave, ok?" The woman continues, "If I've learned anything after working at this job for years, you'll have an easier time finding a new family to take you in if you look as well behaved as possible."

The two children respond with silence, eliciting a groan from their driver. "Anyways, we're here." She stops in front of a quaint home made of dark would, with old paint covering its outsides.

Lincoln and Liberty wordlessly stepped out of the vehicle, making sure to grab their luggage as they did so, before coming up to the curb and standing in front of the door.

The social worker rings the bell after that, "All right you two, behave now, ok?" Her voice remains nonchalant- almost as if she had said the phrase countless times prior.

The two young children nod, clutching their luggage as they do so.

And after a few moments, an old woman answers the door.

For a moment, the twins scan her, suspicious of the woman. And yet, after a moment, they relent, taking nothing of note about her.

"Mrs. Sherman, correct?" The dark-skinned woman asks, not even bothering to look the old woman in the eye while she digs through her bag for the paperwork she desires.

"Yes." The old woman nonchalantly responds, tilting her head ever so slightly as she does so, "How may I help you?"

The social worker produces a clipboard, "I have these two children here, you agreed to take them in until a suitable family can be found for the."

"I see." She smiles, and quickly fills out the paperwork, "There you go." Before she motions for the two children to enter, "Now come along, we have some prep to do."

And wordlessly, the twins walk into the home, while the social worker nonchalantly takes the paperwork and walks away.

The old woman then turns to face her new charges. "How are you doing.?"

To Lincoln and Liberty, she seems foreboding. Her age and height when compared to them does not help matters. And so, instead of responding, they choose to remain silent, hoping that she would not pressure them further.

Yet, their fear of her quickly fades when she kneels down to their height and whispers, "Do not worry, you will be all right." She then wraps her arms around them, as if trying to provide a comforting shield from whatever worries could be upon them.

The twins remain silent however, unsure of just how to help them further.

"I apologize…" She stands up after that, "I must attend to the other children…" She sighs, before calling, "Cristina! I need you to help our new guests!"

Immediately, a young, red-haired girl rushes into view, saluting as she stops in front of the old woman. "Yes, Mrs. Sherman?"

The old woman motions towards the duo, "Please, show them to their room."

Cristina nods, before turning to face them, and as soon as her eyes fall upon Lincoln, her face goes red, while she rubs her arm in embarrassment.

"So you're Cristina, huh?" Lincoln looks up at the young girl, responding by doing the same.

"Y-yeah…" She stammers, before turning around, "I'll… take you to your room…"

Lincoln prods Liberty, before pulling her along, "Don't worry, we'll be fine…"

The young girl nods in response, before they head up the old orphanage stairs.

 _ **A Few Days Later…**_

"Come on Liberty! You just gotta keep your head up!" Lincoln keeps his arm coiled around his sister, seemingly trying to protect her from whatever dangers could befall her. "Things are gonna get better, I just know it!"

Liberty chooses not to look up, instead, she simply stares at the locket they had won just a few days prior, "I know… I know… But what about mom and dad… Max and Alexis…"

For a moment, the young boy hesitates. He had written about this topic only once before- and even then, he had the character come back eventually. But this… this is their life. _"I don't know…"_ And so, with uncertainty filling his body, he grabs his sister's shoulder and turns her to face him, "Hey don't sweat it sis, they'd want us to be happy. And I'm sure we'll be fine!"

" _No matter how scary this is, I need to stay positive… for her…"_ The image of his sister calling out his name from their burning family van rushes to the forefront of his mind, _"I need to… they'd want me to…"_ He gulps, before taking a step forward. Over a month had passed since the accident and their subsequent hospitalization. Thankfully or regretfully- Lincoln still doesn't know which to think- their social worker was able to get them placed in an orphanage near their old home.

Every since they were taken into the home, the director gave them all the privacy a young person would desire, in order to allow them to unpack and allow their nerves to calm down.

"Hey, look who we have here." A slightly younger boy with red hair approaches the duo, a smug smile on his face.

Lincoln nudges Liberty, "Come on, this is our chance to make a friend!" He then turned to the young boy, "Hi, I'm-"

"I don't care who you are." The young boy declares, "Just know that I run things around here, and that no matter what happens I will. So don't make things harder for yourselves and just follow everything I say."

Lincoln's heart began to race. "And what'll happen if we don't."

The young boy stares at him for a moment, before shoving the young girl into a puddle of nearby mud, though, Liberty had closed her locket the moment the young boy had arrived, thankfully protecting the image held within.

"Hey!" Lincoln shouts. _"Great, he's trying to hurt Liberty!"_

"What are you going to do about it?" the young boy crosses his arms, "I rule things around here, and you are nothing to me!"

" _What? Are you just gonna let him hurt your sister like that?!"_ Lincoln grimaces, before clenching his fists, _"You weren't able to protect her before, and now you're gonna just let that bully push her around? You're worthless!"_

"Oh?" Chandler turns around, "You suck-"

Yet, in a blur, the white-haired boy grabs him by the shoulder and forces him to face him, before sending his fist into his abdomen, "Don't mess with my sister, or else."

"Or else what?" Chandler quickly counters by grabbing his face and pushing him away, following it up with a push, which Lincoln takes.

"Grr." Lincoln holds his pained stomach for a quick moment, before kicking at Chandler, who attempts to dodge the attack, only for their leg to get caught, causing them both to fall to the ground in defeat… only for both boys to try and attack each other once more.

"Lincoln! Chandler!" Mrs. Sherman angrily grabbed the boys by the collars of their shirts, "You two must behave! You want to get adopted don't you?! Now, go to the corner!"

And with that, the duo follows the command, making sure to walk to other sides of the yard. Though Lincoln can't help, but think, _"I may not have much going for me, but I promise, I will protect her."_

Yet, Liberty simply holds her locket close, _"Lincoln… please be careful…"_

After that, Lincoln closes his eyes. _"Those girls are my family…"_ ˇHe thought crosses his mind, _"And I will protect them…"_

* * *

" _I will protect my family… And the louds are my family…"_

Slowly, Lincoln's eyes slowly open once more, "Ugh." He groans, moving his left hand over to his head, "What happened?"

Suddenly, the quiet hospital bedroom heats up, while ten nearby girls look on in surprise.

The soft sniffles soon fade, while surprise fills the air… though the girls can't help, but go in unison. "L-Lincoln?"

*Cough* *Cough* The boy hacks, signaling that he is indeed awake.

Immediately, the ten Loud daughters rush to their feet and surround the bed.

"Lincoln, you're ok!" Lana rushes on top of the boy's bed. And yet, before Lincoln can even respond, Lola jumps to her twin's side and responds, "Yeah! I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from putting you in those icky hospital clothes!"

"Ha-" The boy can't help, but at least try to laugh at the girl's quip… though given the chaotic nature of the family, it isn't long before the next sisters cut in.

"You literally had us worried there, Linc." Lori crosses her arms, though she doesn't frown- choosing instead to put a relieved smile on instead.

Luna chooses to respond by strumming her acoustic guitar and declaring, "Viva La Vida Linc! Viva La Vida!"

Luan immediately turns to her musician sister, "Uhh Luna, that song doesn't make sense." Though, thinking fast, she makes sure to add, "But hey, it looks like Lincoln's really, **livin' the life!** " Before she throws her head back in laughter, much to her sister's annoyance; though Lincoln doesn't mind.

"Haha, heel girls, heel!" The boy chuckles, doing the best to hide the aching headache he feels, before he looks around, only to find himself sitting in a hospital bed, "What's, uhh… going on?" He quickly scans his body, only to find his ankles, now covered in bandages, while other parts are covered.

Yet, unwilling to let the commotion die down so quickly, the young women surround him with hugs, nearly choking the living daylights out of him… not that he minds of course. "Ok, ok, uncle, uncle!" Lincoln shouts in fear, prompting the girls to let go of him.

"Sorry." Leni awkwardly rubs the back of her head. "We're just glad you're, like, all right!" She flares her arms as she does so.

Lincoln tilts his head in confusion, "Uhh… why's that? I haven't been gone for too long, have I?"

"Due to the car crash and your subsequent hospitalization, you were rendered unconscious." Lisa checks her watch; "You have been so for over two days at this point."

"Two days?!" Lincoln goes in shock, eliciting nods from the young girls.

"Yeah." Lynn blushes and holds her hands behind her back awkwardly while she answers him, "You pushed yourself so hard that your body just couldn't handle the stress. Thankfully, the doctors were able to help you out."

"From what we heard, you were close to dying." Lucy appears at her side, a blush visible on her face as well, "Luckily, we were able to get you here just in time…."

"By the way, thanks." Lori runs her hand through the boy's short- albeit slightly singed- white hair.

He looks at her in confusion, "For what?"

"Saving us, silly!" Leni waves him off. "You like, were totes awesome."

Lynn rubs the back of her head, "Yeah… I was surprised just how strong you were… I… Thanks…"

" _Heh… I did it… I really did."_ For a moment, Lincoln considers accepting the praise- after all, he had fought the voice that had tormented him for years and found the strength to save them all. And yet, he chooses instead to wave them off, "Don't worry about it. You're my family and I promised myself that I'd never let anything bad happen to my family."

"Eeee!" The girls squeal, before hugging him again.

" _Heh… I can get used to this."_ Lincoln smiles and closes his eyes, allowing the girls' collective heat take him in.

"Haha! It looks like you've already made your choice, huh." A familiar voice echoes through the room, before Lynn Sr. steps inside, "I'm glad you're all right Lincoln, thank you for saving us."

"H-hi, Mr. Loud." Lincoln awkwardly greets and waves him off. "It was nothing."

"Now Lincoln, I don't think there's any need for formalities or modesty right now." He steps over and pulls out a small clipboard, while Rita follows. "Heh, you've earned a break."

He rubs the back of his head in response, "All right." And smiles. Mrs. Loud responds by coming up his side, opposite her husband.

The two adults look at each other for a moment and nod. The woman declares, "It's time."

"What's uhh… going on?" The boy tilts his head in curiosity, though deep down, he can feel exactly what would be coming next.

"Lynn and I were talking…" The woman looks at her husband with a smile, "And well, we wanted to know something…"

"What?" disbelief begins to fill his voice, while his mind quickly follows suit, _"Are they saying what I think they are?!"_

For a moment, the man hesitates, seemingly unsure of just how to say his next words. And yet, with a soft, fatherly tone, he looks into Lincoln's eyes. "Lincoln. When we first met you, I'll admit." He chuckles, "We thought you were Lynn's boyfriend.

"Hey!" The young woman cries out in frustration, while the young boy and her sisters can't help, but laugh at the idea, _"Heh, I wonder if she has a crush on me."_

"Haha, all right, all right." The man motions for them to calm down, "Anyways, ever since then, you've done amazing things." He glances around his young daughters, anticipation filling their eyes, "You've helped us become a better family, and well…" He looks at his wife, a soft smile already having formed on her face, "We've helped you move on from what happened."

He then turns back and looks the young boy in the eyes.

Lincoln's heart monitor begins to beep faster, while adrenaline and excitement rush through his veins, _"Is he saying what I think he is?!"_

"Would you like to become a part of our family?"

And rather than answer, Lincoln simply smiles, prompting the girls to squeal in delight once more, before hugging the boy.

"Welcome to the family bro!" Luna shouted, before pulling back, "I need to write a song to celebrate this!"

Lori responds by taking out her phone, "While you do that, I literally have to take a picture of this moment!" Then, before anyone can react, she comes up and poses at Lincoln's side. The young boy only has a moment to react, before the phone goes off, taking a burst of photos to commemorate the scene. _"He's worth it."_

"I like, totes am gonna go get more polo's!" Leni declares, before rubbing her chin, "But what color should I get?"

"How about orange?" Lola tilts her head in curiosity, causing Leni to hug her, "Perfect idea sis!"

Meanwhile, Lynn and Lucy blush madly, choosing instead to just rub their head and arms, unsure of just how to react to the idea.

" _These girls are amazing."_ Lincoln smiles, _"I belong here."_

Suddenly, the room's air fills with a familiar heat. A voice calls out, "Haha! Looks I missed the party!"

Lincoln's eyes to go wide in shock, _"It… it can't be!"_

The young girls break their embrace, allowing him to turn his eyes towards the source- a young girl dressed in a simple orange polo as well as a blue skirt. A blue bow rests calmly in her soft, white hair, which had been tied into a familiar ponytail. "L-Libby?"

"Hey Lincy." She chuckles, walking over to the group of girls as she does so.

"You're, Liberty?" Lori's eyes widen in surprise.

"Poo, poo?" Lily tilts her head in confusion, "Linc-y?"

"Haha." The young, white-haired girl chuckles, "No, no, I'm Liberty." She looks at the young boy resting in the bed, "I'm Lincoln's twin sister."

"Sister?!" The Louds shout in unison, before Lola rushes to the girl's side, "You're Lincoln's sister?!"

Lana, meanwhile, chooses to jump on the bed once more, "Why didn't you tell us you had a twin sister?!"

"Yeah! You've got a **double-take** ya know!" Luan cuts in to pun, though Lincoln laughs at the joke anyways.

He motions for the now excited girls to calm down, "All right, I'll tell you all." He takes a deep breath, "The reason I didn't tell you guys is well…" He sighs and rubs the back of his head, "before I met you all, she got adopted and it hurt me to even think about her." He then looks at the young girl, "But now, I think I'll be fine."

Liberty gives a knowing smile in response, though the girls look on in concern anyway.

"Heh, so what are you doing here, sis?" Lincoln looks on in disbelief, before hugging his sister.

"What? You think I'm gonna let you spend our birthday alone?" She hugs her brother in response. "I came by two days ago, but Mrs. Sherman said you were out with the Louds! Then everyone got worried when you didn't come home so I had take over for the day!" She chuckles, "Luckily, Mr. Loud here told Mrs. Sherman which hospital you were in.

" _Heh, of course."_ The boy smiles in relief… only for the Loud Girls to cut through the sibling bonding moment.

Immediately, the Louds shout in unison, "Birthday?!" before Lori steps forward, "Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?!"

The twins awkwardly rub the back of their heads, before Lincoln answers, "Well our birthday hasn't really been the best of days for us, you know… given what happened to our family on it…" He then looks back up, before looking down at his white-haired sibling and nudging her, "Anyways, meet my new family." Lincoln motions towards them all, "We've got Lily, Lisa, Lola, Lana, Lucy, Lynn, Luan, Luna, Leni and Lori!"

"Have we met before?" The girl tilts her head in confusion, while rubbing her chin in contemplation.

Lincoln nods, "Yeah, these are the girls we met at the park!" He chuckles, "Turns out they're all a part of the same family."

"Heh, well then." Liberty smiles, "Nice to meet you all."

"And nice to meet you as well." Lynn Sr. quickly looks around, only to find his daughters on the edge of their seats, ready to pounce upon the duo,  
"Come on girls, we should give them some privacy. After all…" He looks back at the twins, "They've got some catching up to do."

And the girls groan, though they choose not to deny their father's wishes.

Soon enough, the Loud Family steps out of the room, leaving only silence and the lone pair of twins waiting for the other to break the silence.

"So Libby…" Lincoln breaks the ice, "I know that there's more to it…" before he looks at her with a begging gaze, "Why'd you leave? We refused to go all the other times, so why now?"

Liberty sighs, "Of course that's the first question you'd ask, Lincy." She takes a seat by her brother's side. "I don't know how to put it…"

"What do you mean?" Lincoln tilts his head in curiosity.

"Really…" She rubs the back of her head, "After that night, I started to think…" She sighs again, "And well… I decided that it was time that we moved on…"

The young boy remains silent, prodding his sibling to continue her explanation.

She turns to him, making sure to look into his eyes for a short moment, before she looks away and rubs her arm, "Before I got adopted, I realized that neither of us had been able to move on since the accident…" Hesitation fills her voice, "I thought about it… and well, Mrs. Sherman convinced me that breaking up would be better for the both of us." She looks at the door, "And from the sounds of it, things really have changed since I left. My new family loves me, a lot. What about you?"

For a moment, Lincoln hesitates his answer. He can go on for what would seem like hours about the Loud family- their antics, their talents, their home- and yet, finds only a single question resting upon his tongue, "Your parents were never gonna adopt me, huh?"

The young girl shakes her head, "No. Mrs. Sherman explained to them that it would be better if we were broken up." She looks up at her brother, "Before you barged in, she had whispered that we hadn't left each other's side since the accident and well… we needed to move on."

Suddenly, the realization hits Lincoln. Mrs. Sherman had protected them for years, raising them together and doing her best to make sure that they would never be alone. And yet- even she understands how dangerous a protective mindset could be! _"And to think, here I was overly protecting my own sister… heh, I guess I learned my lesson."_

"And so… she asked my parents to take me only… though she asked that if something bad happened if they were willing to take you too, which they were." Liberty continues, "Though from the looks of it, things have gotta better, huh?"

" _She's right."_ Lincoln nods and smiles, "You're right, things really have changed. After you left, I was finally able to figure out what I was good at." He looks towards the door as well, "I ran into those girls while looking for you and now they're planning to adopt me too!"

"Heh, from the way you're making it sound, I'm sure there's a long story behind it all." The young girl playfully punches her brother's arm, though he doesn't mind of course.

"There is and I'd love to tell you it." The boy playfully punches his sister back, "But, right now, I'd rather just get some rest. After all, spending time with families this huge are exhausting."

"Given the fact that you ended up in the hospital, I can tell." Liberty chuckles, before leaning back in her seat, "You've still got my locket, right?"

Lincoln quickly looks around, allowing him to spot the heart-shaped container resting on a nearby table, its previously broken strap now repaired- no doubt by Leni's handiwork, "Yeah sis..." He smiles, _"If it wasn't for her pendent... I don't think I would've been able to save them all."_ He turns and looks her in the eyes, "Thanks for giving me it."

And with that, the young girl smiles, "No problem." Before she turns away from her brother, "So what's next, bro?"

"Next?" He chuckles, "First we say goodbye, and then…" He turns away as well, "Who knows?" He rubs his chin, "But… how about, goodbye?"

The young girl nods, "It's about time we said it, huh?"

The young boy playfully punches his sister's shoulder, "Don't worry we have our families to help us out."

"We do." She chuckles, before wrapping her arms around him, with the boy doing the same in response, "We do."

1 12-15-3-11-5-20 19 16-9-3-20-21-18-5 16-18-15-20-5-3-20-5-4 6-18-15-13 6-9-18-5 **.** 8-9-19 20-1-12-5 8-1-19 2-5-5-14 20-15-12-4 4-15-23-14 20-15 20-8-5 23-9-18-5 **.** 1-14-4 14-15-23 6-18-15-13 13-5-13-15-18-9-5-19 20-8-5 20-23-9-14-19 19-8-1-12-12 1-19-3-5-14-4 **,** 1-6-20-5-18 1-12-12 **,** 20-8-5-9-18 10-15-21-18-14-5-25 19-8-1-12-12 19-15-15-14 5-14-4 **.**

 **A/N So how was that?! I thank Wolvenstrom and Sunblast-X for their help! In other news, I'm planning on writing a story for National Novel Writer's Month soon, so stay tuned for it! Lastly, the next chapter ties up loose ends!**

 **Songs used:**

 **TheFatRat - Monody (feat. Laura Brehm) Link: (YouTube) v=B7xai5u_tnk**

 **Guest Replies (C16):**

 **Guest (C1): Three things- 1: If you look at the date of publishing, you'll notice that this story was started months before "Not A Loud" was even announced, meaning that I had no way of knowing that the theory would be debunked. 2: Ok, "Not A Loud" proves he's not adopted, so what? Do you expect me to drop everything and cancel this story because "Oh, it's no longer able to be canon!" Seriously mate, if I cared that much about adhering perfectly to canon, I would've canceled this after "The Whole Picture", you know, given the fact that a baby Lincoln and Lynn appear in it! 3: I respect your opinion to call my story pointless, really I do. The problem is, you don't explain your reasoning beyond "it's not able to be canon" leading me to believe you genuinely don't like this story; to which I respond: ok, I'm still going to write it and you're free not to read it.**

 **For reference, I adhere to canon as much as I can, but when it can't I'm willing to make the bends that need to happen.**

 **Loalincon4 (C1): Heh you were close! Thanks for the support!**


	18. Finding A Story's End

**A/N Man, this chapter has to be on the harder end of what I've written for this story. But, I'll admit, I think it was worth it. I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Eighteen: Finding A Story's End

The sun rises once more over the town of Royal Woods; its heat enveloping the town like a shroud, as well as signaling the presence of a beautiful day.

It is as if the events of the past few days hold immense weight over this, tiny, part of their world. And to a certain family, they have.

The warm, soft rays filter through the newly cleaned window's glass, illuminating a certain room in a certain orphanage for all to see. Inside, the two cabinets that once held what few belongs the room's occupants had been able to acquire over the years now sit open and empty, while the beds are perfectly made.

In this place, this can only mean one thing: an orphan had found a family.

A young boy stands at the foot of one of the two beds he had called his own for close to five years, simply forcing his belongings into the suitcase that the orphanage director was able to provide. It takes him a moment, but when he finally succeeds, he wipes the sweat from his brow and smiles.

He begins to zipper the container- though he finds the fact that even though he had made sure to fold all of the clothes he had and then add his personal belongings, a single suit case is still not enough space for it all. And yet, after a moment of struggle, he finally succeeds and leans against the container to prevent its reopening.

For the next moment, the young boy simply lies there, his mind ever-so clear despite the chaotic events he had to undergo, _"Heh… to think… If I hadn't met the Louds, I'd be kicking and screaming to stay around here…"_ He glances out the window- the world seemingly open for him to explore, _"And now, I'm_ _ **willingly**_ _packing my things so I can move out."_ He chuckles, _"Oh how things change…"_

" _It's hard to believe…"_ He can't help, but shed a few tears at the thought. Just a few days prior he was laying on his bed, clutching a familiar pendent given to him by the one person he had allowed himself to be close to. And now, he was laying on his belongings. In the next moment, more soft tears flow down his cheeks. To him, it is as if all of the emotions and pain he had bottled up over the years had finally been given their chance to release. _"Man… here I am being all sentimental. I'm glad no one's around to see me like this."_

Or at least, he thinks that is so.

"Hey Lincoln." A soft, familiar voice enters the room, bringing a soft smile to the young boy's face, "Miss me?"

"Of course." He chuckles, _"Liberty always did have a way with cliché's… though I know how to make them my own."_ Before turning to face his visitor- her white hair as pure as the day they had first been able to tell it so. "And here I thought I'd be leavin' here without you."

"Heh, I'm gone for a few days and suddenly you don't remember me?" She smiles, before walking over and embracing her twin- which the young boy wordlessly returns, "How are ya, bro? From the looks of it, you've managed to go a week without someone needing to patch up your ankles!"

"I'm doin' all right, sis. I'm doing all right." He holds her close, unwilling to let the moment pass, "I'm just packin' my things so I can finally move out, ya know…" He then releases his grip, allowing the young boy to look into her eyes, "And as for my ankles…" He rubs the back of his head in slight embarrassment, "While I did hurt them when saving the Louds, the doctors were able to do a good job to get them back into place heh…"

"Haha!" Liberty laughs, "Did they do as good a job as I did?"

Lincoln shakes his head in response, "Nope." He wraps his arm around her, "No one can do as good a job as you, sis. After all, you're the one who's been helping me walk ever since we were babies!"

"That I did. That I did." She pokes him, "But you're the one who's always helped me dream bigger. And I doubt I could've gotten as far as I have without you by my side."

"Thanks sis." Lincoln smiles, _"I know. After all these years, I thought I had been relying on her for everything, when I reality she and I worked together… and I wouldn't have had it any other way."_ Before he looks at his sister once more, "So, why are you here all of a sudden?"

"Now Lincoln." She speaks with a matter-of-factly tone, "We promised that if we ever got adopted, that we would say goodbye to everyone, together." She throws her arms around her brother's neck, making sure to lean in as closely as she can as she does so, "Besides, I didn't want to say goodbye so soon…"

" _Because saying goodbye is one of the hardest things possible…"_ He sighs, before shaking his head, "You never forgot." He looks into her eyes, "And here I thought that you didn't wanna say goodbye because it would just be too painful for us to say it."

"Well, I was waiting for you to get adopted too!" She breaks the embrace and lovingly pokes his nose, though the boy simply takes the 'attack' with a soft smile, "Besides, you know how these kids get, they need both of us to be there when we finally leave them."

" _Course. I just hope that they'll be able to handle it all."_ He mentally slaps himself, _"Wait, what am I thinking?! They'll be able to take care of themselves! After all, they've got Cristina and Chandler watching over them!"_

Liberty continues to smile, before looking around the room they had once shared, "So many memories… it's almost a shame that we have to leave it all behind…" She sighs, before taking a seat on her old bed.

"Yeah…" Lincoln sighs, before taking a seat on his sister's old bed as well, "No more sharin' beds when we get scared."

"No more talking about things only close siblings can before drifting off…" The young girl adds, a hint of pain filling her voice.

The boy responds by leaning back, "No more sharing the shower…"

"You think we're too old for that now?" His twin raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

Though, her twin simply shakes his head, "You know Libby, I don't think we'll ever get too old for that. After all, I'm the only one who knows how to brush your waist-long locks properly."

The girl chuckles, "Heh, true Lincy, true." Before she sighs.

Lincoln then shifts in the bed for a moment, allowing its soft- albeit freshly made- fabrics to take him in for a moment, "You know Libby… it's gonna be hard to get used to a new bed."

"Nah… I doubt it." Liberty lies down next to the boy- allowing a familiar heat to overtake the duo for a short moment. Whenever one of the siblings felt lonely or afraid, they would climb into the other's bed- and neither would object- and then together, they would sleep the night away.

For a moment, the young girl shifts as well- though instinctually she knows how not to disturb her brother's comfortable position- before she rubs her chin in contemplation, "Hmm… now that I think of it, you're right bro."

Lincoln nudges his twin, "Hey sis, how's your new bed?"

"Nowhere near as comfortable as this one." She holds her stomach in laughter. "Haha! To think, one of the things I'll miss from this place is the bed!"

" _Yeah… and all of the memories we've shared from in them both…"_ Her brother raises his arm and declares, "Never let it be said that the Shermans made us sleep on lumpy mattresses like those orphanages they show in the movies!"

"Yeah! We're in a great orphanage run by the nicest people ever!" The girl adds, before the boy chuckles, "And they gave us a new home."

And then, before either of them knows it, they're laughing together- seemingly as if nothing had changed- though they both feel that everything had. Soon enough though, their laughter dies down, leaving nothing, but the memory-filled silence to overtake the room.

A few moments pass after that, with the duo simply laying in silence, the memories of their lives at the orphanage slowly filling their minds- though neither of them choose to break the silence to speak of them… that it, until Lincoln stretches once more, "So, how are you holdin' up without me being around to sleep with?"

Liberty nestles close to him, "I've been fine. Every time I've felt lonely or afraid, well, I've just thought about what mom told us. You know… the holding on memories."

"That they never change?" He comes close to his sister once more, _"She needs me… and I need her… we need each other, right?"_ slowly, he wraps his arms around her and instinctually, she returns the affection. _"No… we have our own families now… but that won't stop me from helping her."_

"Lincoln…" she pulls herself into her brother's chest, while her voice trails off. Suddenly, a fearful air overtakes the duo. It is as if death itself had decided to pay the duo a visit.

"Yes?" He responds, though he already knows that what would be coming next.

"I'm… I'm scared…" Her voice trails off for a moment, "What if our families stop wanting us? What if they decide that it's not a good idea to keep us around?! What if… what if?!" The young girl's stammering fills her brother's ears as if they are a wildfire that must be put out.

Undeterred, the boy simply holds his sister close, allowing their heats to merge once more, "Liberty, what happened to the fearless girl I knew? You weren't afraid before and you shouldn't be now. If they didn't want you, they wouldn't have agreed to adopt you." He then pushes her back, ever so slightly as to allow him to look into her eyes, "Plus, you don't have to worry about being lonely, ever, because…" He then leans in close, making sure that his next words would be whispered into her ear, "I'll always be around and I'll always love you, because… You're my sister, and the closest one I'll ever have."

"Big brother, Lincy…" She whispers.

"Little sister, Libby." He counters, making sure to pull his sister so close that she can hear his heartbeat.

"Thanks…" She whispers, smiling.

And for the next moment, the twins simply lay there; enjoying the last time they would share a bed like this.

Though, they both know that they can only hold onto their past for so long.

"Heh…" Lincoln chuckles, before releasing his sister from the embrace and sitting up, "Now how about you go play with the kids, I gotta finish packin' up you know!"

Liberty responds by sitting up as well and quickly hopping to her feet, "Yeah, yeah, I know." She waves him off, "But someone's gotta be around to help ya out!"

" _Always lookin' out for me."_ He shakes his head, maintaining the smile as he does so, _"Some things just never change."_

"So what are you gonna do with these." Liberty kicks the shelf containing all of Lincoln's writing journals- no doubt they would be difficult to move.

The boy sighs, "You know, I was thinkin' of bringing them along- you know, so that I'd be able to keep going where I left off." His voice trails off. _"But… they're part of my past, and I have to leave the past behind me."_

She rubs her chin, "It's gonna be a bit hard to do that, you know… You don't really have the space to come in and bring them with you…" She can feel exactly what he is at this point,

He nods in agreement, "Plus… the kids really like listening to my stories before they go to sleep…" His mind slows down, while the countless memories and laughs that his stories had brought rush to the forefront of his mind. He started writing because on those lonely nights where even his sister didn't seem to be close enough, he would be able to escape his reality and create a new one.

But he doesn't need a new reality now, given what he has in his own.

"Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Liberty tilts her head in curiosity. _"These kids are gonna need these."_

"Probably." He chuckles, before patting the shelf, "As much as I wanna hold onto our past, I'll be leavin' these behind…" He grabs one of the notebooks, before quickly flipping through, "I know that it's not a good idea to leave what you've written behind- after all, you can use it to inspire new works- but after everything that's happened, I don't think it's a good idea to just keep holding onto the past. After all, It distracts from the now."

" _He's really learned."_ His sister smiles, "That sounds deep."

"I heard it from a movie." He chuckles, _"Yeah… thankfully Lisa was able to hook up a crazy movie player thing in the hospital so I wouldn't get bored when they weren't around…"_

"Heh, how'd you like its story?" Liberty can't help, but chuckle from her question.

"Ehh, I think it was fun, though the whole idea of 'making everyone super' seemed a bit contrived." He shrugs. "Still… it had a nice villain and got me excited for the sequel!"

"Of course bro, of course you'd say that!" The girl playfully punches her brother, "You never change."

The boy shakes his head, "I never do."

And with that, the duo laughs.

"Are we interrupting something?" A familiar voice asks, causing the twins to turn to face the source- two familiar redheads waiting by their door.

"Not at all." Liberty greets, turning to the duo as she does so, "What's up you two?"

Cristina simply walks over, her clipboard held firmly under her arm, "I just wanted to congratulate you two for finally getting adopted." She awkwardly rubs the back of her head, "And well… thank you for everything you've done for us over the years. It's been really helpful, you know…" Blush begins to fill her face.

Lincoln awkwardly rubs the back of his face; blush beginning to fill his face as well. Thankfully, his sister- despite just how close the two are- doesn't notice, "Well hey, it was no problem, ya know. Before we got adopted you were our family too." He then steels himself, _"Can't let them notice that. That'd be embarrassing!"_ Before nudging Liberty. "And we take care of our family, right Libby?"

Liberty rubs her chin, "Well, maybe there was one or two…" her voice trails off when she realizes her brother is staring at her, prodding her to tell the truth. She waves them off, "Aww, all right, it's true, it was no problem."

The red-haired girl then smiles, _"I wonder if he likes me back…"_ Before turning to her companion, "Thanks. All right, now it's your turn Chandler."

All three children turn to face the red-haired boy, who can only sigh in defeat, "I guess I have no way out of this." His voice fills with an air of sincerity, "Guys… I'm sorry for bullying you all these years."

Suddenly, a shocked air fills the room, with neither of the twins sure how to respond, while the silence prods him to continue, "After you started visiting those girls and moving out of our lives, I started to take over your old jobs and well…" He rubs the back of his head, "I never knew what you two had done for not just me, but for all of us." He looks away in shame, before turning back with a begging gaze, "I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

The white-haired boy turns to his sister, while the young girl does the same. Without uttering a word, they both nod, before turning back to the boy and throwing their arms around him.

"Wha-" The red-haired boy goes in confusion.

"Don't worry about it." Lincoln declares, "We understand… I think at least."

Liberty then adds, "We forgive you, everything."

Now, Chandler would always say that he isn't one to cry- after all, one must toughen up if they are to survive as long as he did in an abusive household- but in that moment, he begins to tear up, while he does not hesitate to return the hug. "Thanks… thank you both so much."

And so, Lincoln breaks the hug and steps back, allowing his gaze to fall upon the red-haired duo, "Now… please take care of them, they really need someone to look after them all."

"We promise." Cristina wastes no time answering, while Chandler remains silent. The girl turns and nudges the boy, "Chandler?"

The boy simply smiles, "I promise, thanks, for everything."

"It was no problem." The white-haired girl waves them off, while her brother simply shakes his head with an understanding smile.

"Now come on, we've got some prep work to do." Cristina declares, before grabbing Chandler's hand, "Come along now."

And wordlessly, the red-haired boy nods, before following her command.

"Heh, well that was nice." Liberty quips, "To think, that's the kid who spent most of his days trying to show that he was better than us, and now he's coming to us for forgiveness."

"Heh, I guess that's just how the universe works." Lincoln counters with a smile. "Things just seem to work out great in the end."

"If what's happened the last few days has any weight to it…" She shrugs, "I'll give you it, things just seem to work out, despite, well… everything."

Lincoln considers responding to his sister's quip- though he finds himself unable to. Rather, he simply smiles for a moment. That is, until a certain Loud girl rushes up the stairs, her quick steps echoing through the home.

"Guys!" Immediately, Lynn rushes into the room, "The kids are ready for you two!"

Lincoln then turns to his sister and nods, "Well, that's our cue."

"Ready to say goodbye?" She wraps her arm around him, "We can wait another moment if you…"

Yet, Lincoln simply holds his hand up, prompting the young girl to stop, "Don't worry, I'm ready, and from the looks of it, so are you, right?"

She sighs, _"I don't want this moment to end…"_ And yet, she simply nods, "No matter how good something is, all things must end eventually."

"So that new things can take their place." He finishes. And with that, the duo turns and begins to step forward… only for the young woman to grab onto Lincoln, "Hey… wait…"

"Huh?" The white-haired boy turns to her in confusion, "What's up?"

The athlete's face starts to go red in embarrassment, before she begins to play with her ponytail "Well, Linc… can I, uhh… talk to you for a second?"

Immediately, the boy turns to his sister, eliciting a shrug from her, "If it's important, I can just go meet you downstairs."

The boy turns back to Lynn, "Is it important? I mean, we can talk about it with Liberty here, ya know."

"Please…" She whispers, pain beginning to fill her voice "I wanna talk to you, alone…"

" _I wonder what's going on…"_ Lincoln sighs, before turning back to his sister, "All right Liberty, I'll meet you downstairs."

The white-haired girl nods, before waving her finger at him, "All right bro, don't keep me waiting, you hear?"

" _I never would."_ He can't help, but chuckle at her slight paranoia, "Don't worry, I won't." And with that, the young girl simply walks out of the room and heads downstairs, allowing Lincoln to focus his attention on the young woman in his midst, "What's up?"

Lynn sighs, "Lincoln… I know we met just a few days ago and all… and I know that I don't know you all too well but…" She rubs the back of her head in embarrassment, she starts to stumble over her words, "Ever since that night, well I umm… uhh…"

Yet, Lincoln simply tilts his head, _"I wonder what's going on with her…"_

"Oh screw it!" She shouts, before wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close, "It's easier just to show you what I mean!" And before he knows it, she has placed her lips on his own, causing both of their faces to go flush in embarrassment… though Lincoln chooses instead to return the kiss, rather than instantly break it.

And after a moment of holding the embrace, they break, allowing Lincoln to sigh, "Well… that's one way to tell me you have a crush." He chuckles, while wiping his lips.

"Do… do you feel the same?" She awkwardly asks, now unable to look the younger boy in the eyes.

" _I can't be harsh. Just because it's the first time I've had a girl take interest in me like this, doesn't mean I get to be a complete good about it."_ Lincoln takes a breath, before placing one hand on her shoulder, while using the other to move her to face him, "Lynn, I'm going to be honest, I don't."

Lynn can feel her heart shatter. "Oh, I'm-"

"Don't apologize." He pulls her into a soft hug, "There's no need. I love you too, but as my sister."

She can feel her heart break just a bit more, _"I guess…"_

"We just met, and I don't think that's a good basis to start a relationship. I'm gonna be your brother now, and that's not to mention our age difference, you're thirteen, I'm eleven and just got to meet you guys…"

" _But…"_ She tries to think, and yet, Lincoln simply continues onward. He pushes her back while holding onto her, allowing them to look into each other's eyes, "Lynn, I promise, give it some time. If in a few years, you still have these feelings then…" he looks away, while smiling and rubbing his head in embarrassment, "I'd love to give them a shot."

A soft tear trails down her cheek, though she puts a smile on instead, "I understand." She hugs him, "I guess you're right…" She holds him close, "I guess, I'm glad I at least have you as a brother right now… no matter how awkward that'll be."

"Heh." Lincoln chuckles, "And I'm glad to have you as my sister too." Before he breaks the embrace, "Now, how about you head down, I've gotta finish packing and get ready to say goodbye."

The athlete nods, before turning and simply walking out of the room, while Lincoln simply turns to face it once more. Though, as he does so, he can swear, that he sees Lucy tear up a bit, before holding her hands close, seemingly understanding what Lincoln had implied, before she disappears.

"I'm gonna miss this place." He shakes his head, "But… in the end, even I know that it's for the best." He then walks over and shoves the last of his belongings into the bag. _"There's just one last thing."_ Wordlessly, he grabs the notebook resting on the nightstand. He holds it for a moment, allowing its weight to be know, before he smiles, "One book for the future." And with that, he drops it in, before zippering the bag shut and bringing it to the floor, "It's time to say goodbye." And with that, he walks out of the room.

He drops his stuff in the foyer, before grabbing onto Liberty, "You ready, sis?"

"I am if you are, bro." She answers with a nod.

And with their hands holding together tightly, they walk into the backyard, where they find each of the children simply playing with their guests- of course the Loud sisters as well as Liberty's adoptive parents

"Hey guys." Lincoln greets, causing the eight remaining orphans to turn to them and rush to their sides, _"Despite everything that's happened, they still see us as their caretakers… I'm going to miss them all."_

The group shouts in unison, "Big brother Lincy! Big sister Libby!"

"Heh, calm down guys, calm down!" Liberty motions for the children to relax, which they quickly comply. "We've got something to tell you!"

"What is it?" Maurice curiously tilts his head, while the rest of the orphan children respond by doing something similar.

For a moment, Lincoln considers telling them the truth right there and then, after all, they are going to find out eventually, right? And yet, he thinks, _"No, I need to ready them for it all."_ He takes a deep breath, "I have a story for you all. But I need you all to sit down and be quiet so I can tell you it, ok?"

Immediately, the young children rush to their feet and crowd around the boy, ready to listen in to whatever he has to say, meanwhile the rest of the guests walk around the orphans, choosing to remain silent while they wait by the door- though given the circumstances, they already know what would be coming next.

Lincoln looks to Liberty, silently asking if she is ready for what he would say next, and the young girl nods in response. With everyone's eyes him, he takes a deep breath. "Once upon a time a king and a queen ruled over a beautiful kingdom with grace and niceness." His voice fills with a soft pain, "All seemed calm, as if nothing could ever tear the two apart."

The children remain silent, though some smile at the idea.

And yet, unlike before, his voice remains steadfast, "And then one day, suddenly…" he pushes his arms out for emphasis, while his voice influxes, "The queen was taken from her king!"

"No!" Some of the children shout in unison, thought they immediately quiet down as to hear the rest of the story.

"Yes." The boy nods, "And so, the king called upon all of his guards to find her, but alas, none could do so." He looks away, "For the evil witch had locked her in the tower, and only he could unlock it!"

"What happened next?!" Alexis asks, excitement filling the air.

Lincoln smiles, "And so, to find her, he had to go out and fight all the evils of the world. And he did this so that they could be reunited! Yet in order to do so, he had to leave the kingdom behind for a bit." He rubs her head, "But don't worry, the king promised that he would return with his queen one day, or die trying."

Determination begins to fill his voice, "And so, he went off. He fought through the plains of darkness and wandered through the valley of the shadow of death. He slayed the guardians of his lover's castle- the dark soldiers of eternity." And then he begins to tear up as his gaze falls upon the children once more. "He climbed the dark tower and freed her from her captivity."

The girls, of course, have dream-filled eyes while the boys just grimace in frustration- though they nonetheless remain interested. _"Heh… some things just never change."_ Lincoln fights the urge to laugh, _"If I remember one thing about these kids, it's that while they like my stories, the boys still get annoyed by the knight saving the princess, while the girls just love it."_ He smiles instead, _"But, I think it's the most fitting story for it all."_

And with a final push, the white-haired boy finishes, "And with that, they returned to their kingdom, and created a new family for them all to enjoy. The end." At this point, soft tears begin to fill his eyes.

"That was a nice story." Berry quips.

" _It was the first story I ever wrote… and finished."_ He looks down soft tears beginning to form in his eyes, _"I guess, it's time…"_ Pain begins to fill his body, before he looks back at the group, "Hey... guys… I wanna tell you all something…"

The children lean closer in interest.

"I love you all. You have been my brothers and sisters for years… and I've been your big brother." He can't help, but begin to cry… though he does his best to keep talking, despite the rush of emotions, "But… I've been adopted." He takes a knee, allowing him to come to their height, "And I'm gonna be going for a long time now… but I promise, I'll come to visit."

Liberty then comes to his side, "You mean we will come to visit." Despite her desire to stay strong, she finds herself tearing up as well.

The you children remain silent, unsure of just how to take it all.

The girl continues, "We love you all, and I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye earlier… but… we're gonna be going now, ok? Please… we need you to be strong."

Slowly, the air around them all softens, while some of the orphans begin to tear up as well.

" _This isn't good…"_ That is the only thought that comes to the twins.

And yet, before either of them know what's going on, the orphans rush to their feet and tackle the twins, making sure to get as close to them as possible, while following it up by shouting, "Don't go and we'll miss you" so much that the twins can barely understand them… though they still make the effort to do so.

Lincoln and Liberty take the chance to hug them all with that, before the boy answers, "We'll miss you all too… but it's time for us to go."

Liberty then responds, "Don't worry though, we'll come back every now and then."

For the next few moments, they simply hold onto each other- with the orphans unwilling to let go of the big brother and sister they had grown close to over the years, and the twins unwilling to let go of the little brothers and sisters they had cared for.

However, they all know what must be done, even if they do not understand why.

And so, with some tears, the young children painfully break the dog pile, leaving a certain six-year-old standing before the twins, her gaze hardened while she holds her stuffed animal close. "Lincy…" She does her best to put on a strong front- though given her age and the face she makes trying to do it, Lincoln can't help, but find it more adorable than serious.

Though, despite it all, he looks at her with a concerned gaze, "Stacy…" his voice trails off for a moment, "Are you-"

Yet, before he can finish, the young girl tears up, before slowly stepping over and hugging the boy. "Don't worry Lincy, I'll be ok… I promise." her voice fills with pain, while she looks at the boy with a begging gaze.

" _She wants me to stay…"_ Lincoln returns the hug, _"But, I have to go."_

The young girl continues, "I knew this day would come. I did." Tears fill her eyes, while she does her best to keep her composure- though she finds herself crying into his shirt, "Please be happy big brother… Please…"

"Oh Stacy…" The boy finds himself tearing up again, _"Just because you knew, doesn't mean it won't hurt when it happens…"_

For the next moment, the two simply stand there, with neither willing to let the other go. Though, much to the boy's surprise, it is the young girl that breaks the embrace, before she raises the stuffed animal she holds so dear, "Here Lincy…"

He tilts his head in confusion, "What do you-"

"Please… I know it is going to be hard to sleep, so Bun Bun can help you…" her voice trails off, while she does her best to put up the serious façade once more, though, given what had just transpired, he can tell this hurt her more than she lets on. "He's helped me all these years... please Lincoln."

 _"She needs this..."_ Wordlessly, he takes the stuffed animal in his hands, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him." He looks into her eyes, "I promise. Thank you."

As soon as he says that, she throws her arms around him, prompting the boy to do the same, "Promise you'll come back and read to us?"

" _I'll miss these guys…"_ Lincoln smiles and speaks with a sincere tone, "I promise."

And with that, she breaks the embrace and moves to join the rest of the orphans, allowing Liberty to approach her brother.

" _I guess… that's everything."_ Lincoln stands up and dusts himself off, "You ready for this, Libby?"

"Heh, to think, I few days ago, I couldn't even think of life without you, and now, we're going to be separate for a long time." She rubs her head awkwardly.

The boy chuckles, before turning to face the young family now waiting by the door, "Don't worry Libby, I don't think there's much to be afraid of."

Liberty turns as well, noticing her own family waiting next to them, "Heh, well Lincy, I admit, even I'm still getting settled, and I've almost been living with them for three weeks!"

Lincoln chuckles, "Well then Libby, that means that there's still plenty that we don't know." He turns to her and extends his hand to her.

"Yeah, but hey, at least we'll be getting through it together." In response, she holds up the star-shaped locket and opens it up, revealing an image of the twins with the rest of the orphans and the Shermans. "At least in spirit, right Lincy?"

Lincoln pulls out a heart-shaped locket, revealing the new band Leni had taken the time to give it, "Of course."

"Heh, I suppose it is our turn to interject." A man cuts in, causing the twins to turn to the source- Mr. Sherman, sporting an uncharacteristic smile.

"Mr. Sherman?" the twins speak in unison.

The man takes a knee in front of them, allowing him to end up at eye-level with the twins, "I'll say my piece in a few." He motions his wife to step forward, "But, Mrs. Sherman has a few words to say before I do."

The twins remain silent, before the old woman walks over and pulls them into a loving embrace, which they, of course, return with a whole-hearted smile.

"I'm so proud of you two." She whispers, "I always knew that you were special."

"Thanks Mrs. Sherman." Liberty pats her back; "We couldn't have gotten this far without you. Thank you!"

"Yeah." Lincoln holds her tightly- as if she is his mother and he is her child. Though, given their time with her, no one would put it passed them, "I cannot thank you enough…"

"Your happiness is all that thanks I will need." She lets them go with a smile- though it is obvious that she is in more pain then she lets on, "Good luck out there and do wonderful things!"

"We will, Mrs. Sherman." The boy smiles, fighting back more tears.

The old director flinches, before smiling in understanding, _"That is the first time that he hass called me 'Mrs.'."_ And walking behind her husband, knowing just what is about to happen.

The old man takes a deep breath, before looking into their eyes. Silently, he wraps his arms around them, before pulling them into a soft hug, "Thank you, for everything you've done for us."

The twins simply smile, knowing that they had no need to respond.

And so, the man releases them and begins to whisper, "I suppose it time I give you the rousing speech I give to all of my charges before I let them go…" He sighs, "But I already gave you that." He takes a moment to think, seemingly unsure of just how to follow that. And so he simply looks into their eyes, "You two were the son and daughter we could never have and I am glad to have been there to watch you grow." And then, in an unusual sign of affection, he begins to tear up, "I want you two to behave, ok?"

Now, on most days Liberty and Lincoln would find the sight of Mr. Sherman- the stoic protector and maintainer of the home- crying to be rather off-putting. And yet, they find themselves tearing up with him.

"Be good, you hear? Be brilliant and well…" He wipes the tears from his eyes, "If you ever want to visit your roots, then we'll make sure to keep your room here, ok?"

"Ok." Liberty tears up as well, before hugging the man, "Thank you Mr. Sherman."

Her brother follows it up by doing the same, "Yeah, thank you."

"Remember: Life is strange. Things will happen and you will do things that you do not completely understand. But in the end, if you keep on the straight and narrow and do your best, I believe you will succeed." The man wipes the tears, "Good luck in all of your endeavors." And with that, the twins release, allowing the man to step aside, with Mrs. Sherman following suit immediately after.

" _I guess it's finally time."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, before turning to his sister once more, "Ready to head into the unknown?"

She turns and playfully punches his arm, "Nope." Before the two laugh and hug once more, "Big Brother Lincy?"

"And Little Sister Libby." The boy responds, before breaking the embrace and hand in hand turning to their families. "See ya later, sis."

"And see ya later too, bro." Liberty counters.

Then, in unison they declare, "Let's go." Before they break their hold on each other and move to join their families.

With that, they greet them all, before the two embrace their adoptive families, and with one final picture and goodbye, head off- leaving their past behind.

1 12-15-14-5 2-21-14-14-25 18-5-19-20-19 1-12-15-14-5 23-8-9-12-5 20-8-5 20-23-9-14-19 8-5-1-4 15-21-20 6-15-18 20-8-5-9-18 14-5-23 8-15-13-5-19! 13-25 20-1-12-5 9-19 20-15-12-4 1-14-4 9-'22-5 8-1-4 13-25 6-21-14. 1-14-4 19-15 6-15-18 14-15-23 9-14 13-5-13-15-18-9-5-19 20-8-5-19-5 20-23-9-14-19 19-8-1-12-12 16-12-1-25, 5-14-10-15-25-9-14-7 12-9-6-5 15-14 1 19-9-13-16-12-5 19-21-13-13-5-18-'19 4-1-25.

 **A/N Man, that was so hard to write, but I think that it was all worth it! What do you guys think? I thank Wolvenstrom for his help writing this! Also, for those waiting on UB's update, it will be coming soon. I wanna focus on this to make sure its finale is the best it can be!**

 **Only 1 chapter remaining before the story's completion! I thank everyone who's helped me get this far!**

 **Guest Response (C17):**

 **Guest: Thanks! Here's the update!**


	19. Finding A Loud

**A/N Man, I can't believe I've finally reached this point. After close to 8 months of work, I present the final chapter of Finding A Loud! I thank everyone who's supported me along the way! I hope you enjoy!**

 **R &R!**

Chapter Nineteen: Finding A Loud

" _Oh how things change…"_ The lone young boy simply gazes out the passenger-side window of his new family's rental van. He simply watches the sleepy town of Royal Woods pass him by while he feels the soft wind rush through his messy white hair.

For a moment, his mind is filled by the memories he had long-since repressed. Some are of the family that had brought him into the world while others are of the family that had raised him. Though, none truly stand out to him, _"Accept the past and let it go."_ He tells himself, _"After all, if you let your past define your future then you'll never be able to change…"_

Suddenly, he finds his eyes making their way to the young girls riding along with him. On a typical day they would speak amongst themselves and each other- their conversations so loud that one might think that they were arguing over whom could make the most noise.

And yet, after his departure from the orphanage he had once called his home, he finds his new sisters simply sleeping together- the exhaustion they are so skilled at fighting off finally having caught up them.

A soft smile begins to overtake the young boy. _"I'm a Loud now and I wouldn't have it any other way."_

 _ **One Week later…**_

"Heh, I still can't believe you guys did all that." Lincoln nonchalantly holds his hands behind his head while he enters his new home.

"What do you mean?" Lynn chuckles, though she can't help, but fight the urge to blush "I thought you had gotten used to, well, everything we do."

The boy shrugs, "I mean yeah, I have." He rubs the back of his head and looks away, embarrassment filling his voice, "I just mean that, yeah, I expected you guys to be killer at laser tag, but I didn't expect you guys to turn the arena into a giant mess!" He then chuckles, "Or get that competitive…"

Luna chuckles, wiping some of Luan's patented pie cream off her favorite guitar as she does so, _"That is the last time I bring my guitar into a game of laser tag."_ It takes her a short moment to finish wiping the milky substance off the instrument, though when she finally does, she speaks with a nonchalant tone as well, "Heh, that's one of the first things you've gotta learn lil' bro, here, everything that can be a game is a game." She glances at her sisters, "And everyone's a player."

"Yeah!" Luan cuts in, raising her finger as she does so, "But don't worry, once you get the hang of it all, everything's gonna be a piece of cake!" She then seems to reach for something held behind her back, only for Rita to grab her arm.

"Now Luan, Lincoln's not used to your pranks yet. Don't cake him ok?" She then lets go of her daughter's hand, before looking at her adoptive son, "Give him some time and only do small pranks, ok?"

The comedian pouts for a moment, before she smiles once more and waves the woman off, "All right fine." She chuckles, "We'll work our way up." She holds her arms out in front of her, "I promise that all of my pranks are harmless." She nudges her adoptive brother; "After all, I'm not a **kidder** when it comes to this stuff!"

" _I guess that mean's I'm gonna need some body armor!"_ Lincoln gulps in fear, before simply nodding along, "A-all right Luan!"

The young woman playfully hugs him, "Hey, don't worry Linc, I'm not gonna do that to you!" She then pokes his nose, "I'm just here to have a **pun** time!"

" _Well that was a close one."_ The boy breathes a sigh of relief, before chuckling. As bad as Luan's puns are, he can't help, but find a certain charm to it all. "Just try not to have too much **pun**. I don't wanna have to call the **pambulance!"**

After that, the young family starts to laugh, though Lincoln can't tell if it's from the bad puns or from the fun they had just had.

Soon enough, the home begins to fill with the familiar sounds of the young family simply enjoying each other's company, with their newest member standing at the center of it all.

" _Heh, I can't believe I've come so far."_ The boy smiles, _"To think… just a few days ago, this place seemed so confusing, and now… I can't help but feel like I belong here…"_ Lincoln yawns, stretching his arms as he does so.

"Heh, well from the sound of it, someone's tired." Lynn Sr. speaks up, his voice breaking through the chaos caused by his daughters' conversations, "How about you all head to bed? It's getting late ya know."

Immediately, the young women try to argue- after all, it's summer! Who wants to go to sleep early when they don't have to worry about anything?! And yet, despite their best efforts to convince their father, the man does not relent. "Girls, too little sleep isn't healthy. Now go to bed!"

And so, the young girls begrudgingly sigh, before turning and heading upstairs- leaving Lincoln to walk over the couch and grab the blanket resting on top, _"It's not like the orphanage bed, but it's better than nothing."_

"Goodnight everyone!" Lincoln cheerfully shouts, prompting his sisters to respond along the lines of, "Goodnight Lincoln!" Though they, of course, add their own spins to the phrase.

A few moments after that, Lynn Sr. declares, "Light's out!" Before turning off the lights in the second floor hallway, signaling that it is time for the young girls to return to the slumber that they so take for granted.

" _Heh, those girls are awesome."_ The boy lies down, wrapping his body in the soft blankets as he does so. Thankfully, Leni's ability to create clothing allowed her to also make a beautiful quilt for her younger brother. _"And I'm glad to have them."_

Soon enough, Rita walks over and takes a seat next to the sleeping boy, "By the way, Lincoln, I'm sorry that we couldn't give you a room yet… our home is just so crowded…"

Lincoln smiles in response, "Don't worry... mom, like I said before, I'll be fine." He can't smiles at the woman, though he still finds it odd to call her mother. _"After everything we've been through, I think calling her mom is the least I can do."_ He continues, "I've had tougher places to sleep before, ya know."

"I know, I know, but someone your age deserves better." She sighs, before standing up and caressing his head, _"I'm glad to have you around."_ She then places a soft kiss on his cheek, "Goodnight, son." Before she turns and walks into her own room. If Lincoln needed to talk to his adoptive parents, he would be able to rush over to their room in an instant.

And with that, a soft hush falls upon the typical chaos that fills the Loud House.

" _So much has happened in so little time."_ The boy takes a moment to think in the uncharacteristic quiet of his new home, _"If I didn't know any better, I'd think that this is a dream or something."_

" _Maybe it is."_ A familiar voice cuts through his thoughts, _"After all, an orphan finding a family like this? Why, they must want something! Why are you-"_

" _Hey! I thought I shut you up forever back when I saved the Louds from that car crash!"_ Lincoln quickly thinks in response, forcing his mind's menace back.

" _Keep telling yourself that, but you must face facts: I am here and will never leave you."_

Slowly, the young boy opens his eyes allowing his gaze to fall upon the small notebook he leaves by his resting place in case he gets a sudden burst of inspiration in the middle of the night, _"And what facts are those?"_

His heart starts to race once more, _"No matter where you go, your past is going to come back to follow you. Why are you choosing to deny where you came from?"_

For a moment, the young boy remains silent, his mind abuzz with all the actions he can undertake. And yet, he finds himself pushing his covers off, while sitting up, making sure to take the pad in his hands as he does so.

" _Do you not see how futile this foolish endeavor of yours is? You've decided to abandon the orphans whom you swore to protect and your sister- whom you promised never to leave!"_

However, rather than simply answer the voice, Lincoln simply smiles and turns on the small lamp that the Louds had given him in case it got too dark in the living room.

" _What are you doing?"_

With one swift motion, he turns the lamp on, causing its small, simulated flame to illuminate the room- albeit just around the boy- while he makes sure to grab a pencil off the coffee table. _"Oh, just a little writing is all. Is that a crime?"_

" _Why? Do you not see it has no point?"_

"Heh." Lincoln chuckles, "Heh, surprising isn't it? You know, a few days ago I would've listened to you. But now, I couldn't care less what you have to say."

His whisper is only met by silence.

"What? Don't have another witty comeback basically telling me that my life is worthless and that no one, but the orphans and the Shermans would be able to love me?" The boy shakes his head, "I shouldn't have expected more."

In the next moment, the young boy puts his pen to the paper and begins to write. Now, of course, he can't see his text that well; though he doesn't mind. "Heh, and since you're here, why don't you show yourself? I mean, you've been pestering me, changing your voice every now and then." He then shoves the pen in his book and hops to his feet, "Why don't you finally give me a face to argue with."

" _Very well."_ The voice responds, before the nearby shadows begin to rise, overtaking the living room in darkness for a moment, before dissipating, leaving a familiar figure in their wake- a young, white-haired boy wearing a set of blue jeans and an orange polo.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?" Lincoln snickers.

" _I say, why do you delude yourself?"_ the boy shakes his head in disappointment, _"Everything you've done, everything you've worked for and you've just thrown it away! I don't get it! Why have you decided to live with people whom will never love you like their own flesh and blood?!"_

"Oh really now?" The young boy does his best to hold off a laugh, before raising his notebook again.

" _What are you-"_

"Simple." Lincoln cuts him off, "You're me, that means you can see and feel everything I do." With a few strokes of the pen he begins to write. Suddenly, the world begins to melt- while the young boy simply paints a picture of something that had happened only a few days prior.

* * *

"So, uhh… where are we goin' Lori?" Lincoln looks at his adoptive older sister with concern filling his eyes."

Lori does her best to control Vanzilla; after the car crash Lynn Sr. had the old thing repaired to its former 'glory'… and then when he wasn't looking Lana and Lisa took the time to perform some 'minor' upgrades on it- no doubt guaranteeing that there would be a better chance of survival in case the incident repeats itself, "We're heading to the mall Linc." She turns and smiles at the boy, "You know, to get you stuff."

The boy tilts his head in confusion, "But… I don't have a room."

"That doesn't matter right now." She turns back to the road and chuckles, "Mom and dad are working on place for you to sleep, but in the meantime, since you'll be living with us, we need to get you stuff to preoccupy your free time."

"But, I write in my free time, you know." The young Loud raises an eyebrow in interest.

"True, but remember, no one can write forever. You need to take a break every now and then or else you risk author burnout. And I doubt you'd ever wanna have that problem, right?"

For a moment, Lincoln hesitates his answer. Yeah, he had heard about some of the best of the best suffering from burnout, but… he had never felt stressed out while writing nor felt like he had ever lacked the inspiration to write. _"But… I don't have the orphans to preoccupy myself anymore… it might be better if I do take a break or something…"_ And so, with a sigh, he nods, "All right sis, all right."

"Great." Lori chuckles, before pulling into the mall parking lot and stopping the newly-repaired van in its place, "Let's go."

And soon enough, the duo walks into the massive mall, causing Lincoln's eyes to go wide in surprise, "Wow!"

"You like?" Lori chuckles, "My sisters and I love to come here on the weekends." She runs her hand through the young boy's soft, white hair, "But, since I don't wanna deal with the chaos they bring along with them, I've decided to come here early." She then squats down to his height, "Well that, and that this trip is all for you."

" _Heh, awesome."_ Lincoln smiles, "Thanks Lori."

"Haha." Lori laughs, before standing up straight and grabbing onto his hand, "No problem. Have you ever been here before?"

"Yeah, Luna and Leni took me here a few weeks ago…." Lincoln begins to rub the back of his head with his free hand, "And Mr. Sherman would take us here for Christmas… he wouldn't be able to get us much, but he was able to save enough money in the budget to give us a fifteen dollar spending limit on what we wanted."

"That was nice of him." The young woman answers, "Maybe one day you can give enough my to the orphanage so that you can give them a sixteen dollar spending limit."

"If my writing ever gets famous." The boy chuckles, "So, where do you wanna go?"

"First, the comic book store." She quickly answers, before pulling the boy over to small storefront. Inside is a small, brick-walled space with rows upon rows of shelves displaying comics of all kinds, though Lori already knows what she has come for.

"Wow!" Lincoln looks on in amazement, "This place looks amazing!"

The young woman shrugs, "I guess so, I don't come here that often so I wouldn't know."

"Hey Lori!" One of the works walks over, "How are you today?"

Lincoln promptly gives his adoptive older sister a prodding look.

Lori's face goes red in embarrassment, "Oh… all right." She rubs the back of her head, "I'm a regular customer here." She playfully noggies him, "But don't tell anyone twerp." She then turns to face the worker, "Do you have an Ace Savvy issue one here?"

The young man rubs his chin for a moment, before walking over to nearby shelf and grabbing one of the books off it, "Yep, you're in luck today."

"Awesome." The young woman takes it in her hands, before handing it over to her adoptive brother, "Check this out."

"Uhh… what's this?" he quickly skims through it. From what he can see, it follows the story of a strange, card-based crime fighter as he tries to protect the city of Cardsville from the forces of evil.

"So, I asked around the nerds I know and they told me that this comic is perfect for people your age." She squats down to his height and looks into his eyes, "Why don't you give it a read? Let's see if you like it."

The young boy takes the moment to feel the book between his fingers. The pages feel strange- and yet, they feel so strong that he doesn't think he would be able to rip it apart if he so wanted. With the speed of a perpetual reader, he goes through the book from front to back, while his eyes begin to go wide in surprise. "Wow."

"Heh, like it?" Lori chuckles.

"I love it." Lincoln responds."

The young woman then smiles at the boy, before standing up straight, "I'm gonna need the whole series!"

"Y-you mean it?" The young boy's eyes begin to go wide in shock, before he looks down at the comic in his hands, "I mean, you don't-"

Yet, Lori simply raises her hand, motioning for him to stop, "Don't worry about it bro." She then wraps her arm around him; "I want you to be happy, even if we can't always be there for you."

Lincoln smiles, "Thanks." Before wrapping his arms around her as well, pulling her into a soft hug.

* * *

"And that's how I got into Ace Savvy." He chuckles, before glancing at the small comic he had left on the table. Thankfully, due to having such a large family now, he had been unable to complete the whole series, meaning he had plenty left to go through!

His look-a-like stares for a moment, _"Yeah, that was one time. Yes, they may give you stuff to help you kill time, but they will take from you, force you to give up your time and energy for various purposes that you don't even care about!"_

Yet, undeterred, Lincoln simply smiles, "Because that's what families do." He then begins to write once more, creating a new scene for them to see.

* * *

"Hey Lincoln! Can you come up here for a second?!" Leni calls out.

" _I wonder what's goin' on."_ Lincoln drops his pen and paper, before hopping to his feet, "Coming!" He then reels back, before pushing forward, allowing him to rush up the stairs at a near-breakneck pace. Within second he is standing in front of Leni and Lori's room, eagerly waiting for his older sister to answer.

"Oh good!" She greets, before grabbing his arm and pulling him into the room, slamming the door behind her as she does so, "I like, totes need you for something!"

"Uhh… what?" Lincoln lands in his sister's room, before hopping to his feet and dusting himself off.

Leni then turns and shows off a line of dresses, "I've been working on some designs and I really need you to try them on, if you don't mind."

For a moment, the young boy considers the idea… before promptly shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, "Leni… I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Aww, why not?" Leni pouts, before looking in the young boy's eyes.

Lincoln responds by looking away and rubbing the back of his head, "I know I'm the only one who can properly fit into your clothes, but I… well I don't like dresses…"

For a moment, the young woman pouts, before looking into the young boy's eyes with a begging gaze, "Please Lincy? Please, I really need you to do this, this is, like, really important to me!"

Lincoln begins to mentally kick himself, _"I could never say no to those eyes."_ He takes a deep breath, "Fine, I'll try them on."

"Yay!" Leni cheers, before grabbing his arm and pulling him over to nearby changing barrier and beginning to use Lincoln as a model for them all.

* * *

" _See!"_ The voice declares, a successful cheer filling its tone, " _She took from you and didn't bother repaying!"_

Lincoln snickers in response, "Oh really? Let me finish the story." And with that, he continues writing.

* * *

"Thanks for the help Lincoln!" Leni hugs the young boy- whom had changed back into the clothes she had given him all those days ago.

"Heh, no problem sis." He rubs the back of his head, "But, if you don't mind, mind holding off on the dresses a bit? I really don't like them that much."

Leni waves him off, "Like, I totes understand." She then turns, "Anyways, since you've been such a helpful model, I've got something for you!"

The young boy raises an eyebrow in curiosity, before the young girl pulls out a small set of clothes, "Since it's, like, not awesome to keep wearing the same thing every day, I've gotten some other clothes for you wear!"

Lincoln takes the pile in his hands, and simply smiles, "Thanks Leni, you're the best!"

Leni responds by hugging him, "Thanks Lincy!"

* * *

The voice narrows his eyes at Lincoln, before turning around and waving him off, _"Whatever! They don't really care!"_

"You don't seem to understand, do you?" Lincoln shakes his head in disappointment, "These girls, this family has done more for me in a single week then you have my whole life."

" _No they haven't! Lori has given you something to distract yourself! You, you haven't had a true creative boom since you've gotten here, since you left them behind to live with this false family!"_

Lincoln furrows his eyebrows, "Oh haven't I?" He then moves pen to paper once more, continuing his onslaught as he does so.

* * *

"Dangit..." Lincoln takes a deep breath, "I have absolutely no idea of what to write!" He taps his chin, trying desperately to come up with something to write. For the next moment, he hesitates, before looking back at the paper he is supposed to be writing his latest story on… only to find it completely devoid of writing.

He sighs in defeat, before slamming his head against the paper. _"Dangit…"_

"Hey Lincoln." A familiar voice suddenly goes, though Lincoln doesn't jump up in surprise. Rather, he simply raises his head to meet the source, "Hey Lucy, what's up?"

Lucy holds her small notebook close to her chest for a moment, before looking away from him, "I… well…"

Lincoln raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Yeah?"

"Well…" she then turns back to face him, though she continues to look at the floor, "I was wondering…" She then pushes the book forward, allowing Lincoln to take it in his hands, "If you could look over my work for me… I'm having problems trying to get a grip on everything and well…"

Yet, wordlessly, the young boy places a soft finger over her mouth, prompting her to silence herself. "Don't worry, I'll help you out." He then begins to flip through the pages, _"Hey, maybe it'll help me get out of my creative rut too."_

"Ok…" Lucy comes over and sits down at the boy's side, "it's on the last page."

"All right." Lincoln quickly flips through, allowing his gaze to fall upon the poem. He looks it over for a moment, before reading aloud, "My heart aches. What pain I feel when I remember I love thee / though, you do not think the same of me. / And yet, if the sky fell down to take you away / I would fight to have my say."

For a moment, the young boy reads the poem again, seemingly trying to come up with a simple answer to it all, _"I forgot that Lucy had a crush on me…"_ He sighs, before turning and placing a soft hand on the young girl's shoulders, "Lucy…"

The young Goth takes the notepad from him, "I'm sorry…"

And yet, rather than rebuke her, as she had believed he would do, the young boy turns her to face him, "Lucy, listen."

The young girl looks up at him in surprise, though she doesn't speak.

Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Lucy I do love you, but as a sibling." He looks into her eyes, "I would do more, but right now I'm ad-libing." He then chuckles, before pushing the young girl's chin up, allowing her to look into his own eyes, "But don't worry. Like I told Lynn, if you feel this way in a few years…" He rubs the back of his head, "Then I'll be all ears."

Lucy's eyes begin to go wide in surprise, "Y-you mean it?"

The boy nods and hugs his little sister, "Yeah." He then ribs his chin, "Now that I think of it, I think I know what to write!"

"What?" The Gothic girl tilts her head in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"You caught me when I was having a severe case of writer's block." The young boy begins to write, "And I can't thank you enough for helping me get through it."

She begins to smile, while blushing, "No problem… Lincoln." And with that, she disappears once more, allowing her adoptive brother to return to the hobby he holds so dear.

* * *

"These girls are giving me more than I'll ever be able to repay." Lincoln grabs the form the voice had taken, forcing him to face him once more.

" _Grr."_ The voice growls, before forcing Lincoln's hands off him, _"Whatever! Their love is all fake! It'll fade as soon as they get bored of having you around! Then they'll drag you back to the orphanage!"_

Lincoln can't help, but chuckle at the notion, "Oh really?" He throws his head back in laughter, "Haha! Maybe telling you about Lynn might help!" He then raises his pen again, and begins to show off the next memory.

* * *

"Haha!" Lynn laughs, while she chases Lincoln around the park, trying desperately to get the ball back from him. "Get back here!"

"I'm winning right now Lynn!" The white-haired boy cheerfully declares, before looking back at her. Despite what the other girls had said about Lynn, she is pretty calm, cool and collected while they play their game. "You gotta catch me!"

The young woman steels herself, before forcing her body to catch up to the boy, "You've got it!" And with that, she jumps up to pounce on the boy… causing them both to roll on the grass for a moment.

When they finally come to a stop, Lincoln ends up on top of Lynn, with the ball rolling off to the side.

"Heh… this is awkward, isn't it?" The young boy jokingly asks.

Lynn's face begins to go red, before she looks away from the boy, "Y-yeah…"

With a soft push, he forces himself to his feet, before offering his hand to the young woman, helping her up as well.

" _I'm gonna have to get used to this."_ Lincoln shakes his head, "Hey Lynn, you ok?"

For a moment, the young woman hesitates her answer- after all, despite it all; she still has feelings for the young boy that is now her adoptive brother, "Yeah… I think I'm gonna be fine."

" _No, she needs me to make sure that she is."_ Lincoln doesn't hesitate to place a soft hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Lynn."

"What?" The young woman turns to him with a begging gaze. "I'm not worried about anything!

Without warning, the young boy warps his arms around her, "I know it's going to be hard, and I know that it's awkward having feelings for a boy who you're supposed to see as your new brother, but we'll get through this together, ok?"

For a moment, Lynn simply looks on in surprise, before returning the affection, "All right… thanks Lincoln."

"No problem, sis." Lincoln doesn't hesitate to answer, while he thinks, _"Yeah, adjusting to my new life as a Loud is going to be hard, but I'm just glad to have someone like Lynn as my new sister."_

And with that, they break the embrace, before turning and running after the ball, continuing the game.

* * *

"Love like theirs doesn't break." He looks into the voice's eyes- his own eyes and sees pain. He sees what seems to be year's worth of suffering and anxiety, and yet, he himself feels no remorse, "And I know that no matter what happens, everything is going to be all right."

" _You lie!"_ It frantically steps back, loosing ground against the young boy.

"I listened to you for far too long." He stares straight into the voice's soul, his own soul, and shakes his head, "And yeah, before you argue that not everything is going to be sugar and spice…" He places his fist over his heart, "I know!"

" _L-Luan! She's part of the fact! Why do you accept the fact that she's going to make your life miserable by constantly pranking and telling you bad puns?!"_

Lincoln simply smiles, "Because, I know that she means no harm by it all." He then grabs the pencil again, "Now how about I tell you about this one."

All the voice can do is grimace, while Lincoln begins to recreate the scene once more."

* * *

"Heh, hey Lincoln, where ya goin'?" Luan asks while he heads up the stairs, "You don't have to Banana **Split** on me!" She throws her head back in laughter, while making sure to throw a few banana peels around.

"Heh, nice pun, Luan." Lincoln chuckles, "I'm just heading to the bathroom." He looks back at her, "No biggie."

Luan can barely contain herself as the young boy opens the door, causing a bucket of water to fall on his head, "Dangit."

The young woman rushes up the stairs to laugh at the now-soaked boy. "Haha! I got you Lincoln!"

"Yeah, yeah, I give you that, you did." He chuckles, only for a bucket to fall on the comedian's head as well. He begins to rub his chin, "Unless I, perhaps saw you plant that and planned accordingly."

"You're good." She chuckles, while walking over to the boy, making sure to keep the bucket on top of her head, making sure to seem as goofy as possible.

Lincoln shrugs, "What can I say? I had to make sure that an entire army of kids behaved! Finding pranks like that is second nature to me!"

"I guess that means I just have to step up my game!" Luan jokes, before trying to hug the boy… only for the buckets on their heads to smash into each other, causing the duo to stand by for a moment, while the ringing in their ears dies down, "Well I guess we're all **wet** and **shaken up** now!"

Now, despite what most of their siblings would do when she made as bad a pun as those, the white-haired boy simply starts to laugh, "Heh good one Luan!"

"Heh you're the best brother ever." The comedian throws the bucket at off, with Lincoln doing the same soon after. And with that, they hug as well.

* * *

" _You- what? No! That doesn't make sense."_ The voice stumbles back in disbelief.

"Yeah, it does." Lincoln then steps forward, writing the next scene as he does so, "I help them and they help me. That's what a relationship is and I will never betray that." He then starts to write again, "After all, these girls are as talented as I am and need all the help I can give them too!"

* * *

"Hello new older sibling." Lisa approaches Lincoln, the young boy simply writing on the couch just as he had done several times since the Louds adopted him.

"Hey Lisa." Lincoln breaks his focus, turning to the soon-to-be four-year-old as he does so, "What's up?"

"I have a new ex-" *Yawn* She goes, before turning a breath and finishing, "Experiment I want to finish and I was hoping that you would be able to accompany me in finishing it."

Lincoln shivers, his adoptive sisters' warnings about Lisa's experiments ringing through his mind as he does so. Without hesitation, he shakes his head, "As much as I'd love to Lisa, I'll have to pass."

For a moment, the young scientist remains silent, before sighing in defeat and turning, heading upstairs immediately after.

" _Strange… I wonder why she seemed so tired…"_ He returns to his work, _"A three-year-old should be-"_

"Ow!" a cry resonates through the home.

Immediately, Lincoln rushes to his feet and heads up to the source: Lisa's room. And when he finally arrives, he finds Lisa, holding up her cut thumb, soft tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Lisa! What happened?!" Lincoln quickly rushes to her side and grabs her thumb.

"I-I…." She looks at her workbench, her now blood-covered tools coming into view, "I was working on cutting some samples and I hurt myself!"

" _No matter how smart she thinks she is, she's still a toddler at heart."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, "Lisa, you have to be careful with your lab equipment." He takes a glance round the room, allowing his gaze to fall upon a small first-aid kit hanging on the wall, "Now let's get some help for you."

Through her pained tears, Lisa simply nods, "Ok…" before the boy guides her over to her bed and makes her take a seat.

Without hesitation, he grabs the kit and drops it on the pad, before opening it up, revealing a seemingly random set up of medical equipment, _"Heh, it's been so long since I've seen one of these full."_ He can't help, but smile, before pulling out a small spray bottle, "Ok Lisa, show me your thumb."

The young girl slowly complies.

"This'll hurt a bit." He takes hold of her hand and sprays, causing her to wince for a moment, before the boy covers her wound with a Band-Aid decorated with a strange sponge and starfish. "There, that better?" He speaks with a soothing tone.

Lisa nods, "T-thank you, Lincoln."

"No problem." He packs up the kit, before taking a seat next to her, "Lisa, you have to be careful."

"I am…" She tries to argue, though Lincoln simply shakes his head.

"Lisa, you're still young." He continues, before taking hold of her uninjured hand and prodding her to open it, which she does, "Your hands aren't developed well enough yet."

"But… I have to do science!" She fights back, "The world needs me!"

"It does, huh?" Lincoln chuckles, before hopping to his feet and walking over to the desk; without hesitation he goes into the desk and pulls out a set of safety sisters, and before the young girl knows it, he replaces the safety razor with the scalpel blade, "There ya go! One safety scalpel."

Slowly, Lisa hops to her feet and takes the tool in her hand, "Thank you, Lincoln."

"No problem." He then swoops her off her feet, "Now then, lets go do something else for once."

"W-what?!" Lisa's eyes go wide in shock.

"You've been doing science for too long, you need to take a break." He then turns and begins to carry her out the door.

"But Lincoln!" She tries to argue, though she is powerless to stop the boy from taking her away.

And within a few minutes, the duo is at the park, the young girl still held firmly in the boy's arms.

"I still do not see why I needed to come here!" She protests.

Lincoln simply smiles, before bringing her over to one of the toddler swings and dropping her in it, "Simple really." He grabs a hold of the device, "You need to loosen up." Then, he pulls her back.

"Wait, what?!" She goes in confusion, before Lincoln pushes her forward. Now, Lisa of course, hates acting her age- after all, why would a three-year-old genius enjoy being at an age that doesn't allow them that much freedom?! And yet, at the moment she can feel her heart race, not from fear, but excitement.

"How do you like that?!" The white-haired boy jokingly asks, though he already knows what the toddler would answer.

Lisa responds by doing something she typically fought off: she smiles, before shouting, "Higher! Higher!"

" _Music to my ears."_ He chuckles, before catching her and pushing her higher.

* * *

" _But! There have been bad times!"_ The voice falls back against the living room window, while Lincoln slowly approaches it. It is as trapped as a mouse in a maze, and Lincoln knows it.

"So what?" The boy chuckles, "Yeah, there are bad times, but there are always good and bad times." He chuckles, "Bad times make the good times all the more meaningful, and the good times make the bad times worth getting through."

" _No they don't! No one wants to suffer! You're just pro-"_

"Shut it, I've got more stories to remember." Lincoln smiles, before tapping his chin, allowing the next memory to come into view.

* * *

"Lincoln!" A shrill voice echoes through the small home, "Where are you?!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" Lincoln turns to answer, before turning back to continue the task at hand- opening a jar of peanut butter, _"Now, I just have to make sure I don't set anything on fire and I will be finally able to get the sandwich I want!"_

"I need you!" Lola storms into the kitchen, her arms held firmly at her sides, while she raises her head to the boy, doing her best to seem as threatening as possible.

The boy glances at his little sister, _"She's preparing to throw a temper tantrum. I'm surprised that she didn't learn her lesson from the last time she tried that on me."_

"No one wants to play with me!" She points at the young boy, "So I want you to play with me!"

" _And here I thought she had learned."_ Lincoln simply shakes his head, before walking over to her, towering over the young girl, "No."

"But-" Suddenly, Lola reels back. "But…"

" _Just because I'm your brother now doesn't mean I'm gonna give in to your every demand."_ Lincoln points at a nearby wall, "Go to the corner and think about what you've done."

In response, Lola simply complies.

" _Well, at least she remembered that."_

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"Well this sucks…" Lola pretends to pour some tea for her stuffed animals, though she can't help, but find their inability to respond quite creepy. "I wish someone would join me…"

"Hey Lola." Lincoln steps into the young girl's shared room.

For a moment, the young girl considers snapping at the boy, though stops herself when she remembers what had happened the last time she tried to snap at him.

The young boy calmly walks over to the table and places his hands on an empty seat, "Is this taken?"

"N-no…" Lola stammers, "Y-you can have it…"

" _All right, time for the discipline."_ He does so, before he looking into the younger girl's eyes, "Lola, you need to get control of your temper." He sighs, "I don't like punishing you, but I do it because you need someone to knock you down a peg."

"Oh…" She looks away in shame, "I'm sorry…"

"Good." Lincoln smiles, before grabbing the teacup, "Now, wanna have a tea party?"

The young girl smiles, "You… you mean it?"

The boy nods, "Yeah, you're my sister now. I don't mind having fun with my family."

Now, of course, Lola loves to hide the affection she has for her family- after all, if it doesn't look like you care, no one can truly exploit you. And yet, in that moment, she finds herself hugging her adoptive brother, "Thanks Lincoln."

Lincoln simply responds by returning the hug, "No problem." Before reeling back and grabbing the teapot, "After you, my dear."

"Why thank you, sir Lincoln!"

And with that, they get to the party.

* * *

"These girls are the best things to have happened to me." Lincoln continues, "They've given me so much." He then pokes the copy, forcing it to reel back in pain, "And I don't care what you are or what you're supposed to be, I will stay here!" He then looks at the small Pitbull sleeping at the opposite end of the couch, "And they've given me more reasons to stay.

"L-lies!" The voice finds its back held firmly against the wall. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, it is trapped with the boy whom it had tormented for years.

* * *

*Slam!* The front door swings open, with Lana following soon after, "Mom! Dad! Look at what I found!"

Slowly, Lincoln opens his eyes, _"What the?"_

Quickly, the young girl rushes into her parent's room, though sadly, Lincoln is unable to see what she is trying to show off.

Lincoln's curiosity peaks, allowing him to turn and hop to his feet, walking over to the room behind is resting place.

Inside the room, Lincoln finds Lana holding a small puppy, her eyes wide while she holds him up, "Come on, please?!"

"No Lana, we have three pets already." Lynn Sr. motions towards the frog hiding in her overalls, "And that's not mentioning the pets you take care of on your own!"

Rita then shakes her head as well, "I'm sorry Lana, but we have to give him away-"

"Uhh… hey." Lincoln sticks his head into the room, "What's going on?"

"Nothing sweetie." Rita looks at the young boy with a soft gaze, "We're just trying to explain why we can't take care of another pet."

Instinctually, Lana turns to face the boy; the young pup resting in her hands doing the same.

Now, of course Lincoln isn't immune to the cute gaze that his siblings would give him, and yet, he finds himself drawn to the young dog. It's like he can feel a little piece of himself in the pup. Wordlessly, he walks over to the dog and takes it from the girl, cradling it in his arms for a moment.

"Uhh Lincoln?" Lana tilts her head in confusion.

The pup looks at him in worry for a short moment, before nestling into his arms. _"Yeah… you feel it too."_ Lincoln takes a breath, before looking up at his adoptive parents, "May, I take care of him?"

Lynn Sr. raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

He looks back at the Pitbull, "It looks scared and lost… just like how I was… I think it needs a home too."

Slowly, Lynn Sr. and Rita look at each other, before simply sighing in defeat.

"All right." The man relents, "We'll let you take care of it."

"What will you name it?" Lana cheerfully asks.

"Charles." Lincoln smiles, _"After my first Original Character."_

* * *

" _But-"_ The voice tries to speak up, though Lincoln doesn't give it the chance.

"You're my past, and I'm ready to let you go." He shakes his head, allowing determination to fill the air. The young boy can feel the soft heat of his home overtake him, while the soft stories and cheers his sisters had given him begin to fill his mind.

* * *

Lincoln stands before the shared room of the comedian and the musician, his heart racing and his mind abuzz in anticipation, _"Calm down Lincoln, this is gonna be easy. She's your sister now, there's nothing to hide."_ He then takes a deep breath, before pushing into the room, "Hey Luna."

The young woman looks up from her post, she is playing a familiar tune on her favorite guitar. "Oh hey bro, what's up?"

" _Just stay calm."_ Lincoln takes a deep breath, before hugging the young woman, "Thank you."

"Heh." Luna returns the affection, before she asks, "For what?" Though she makes sure to ask with a joking tone.

"For that talk we had when we first met. Thank you for it all." The young boy answers, soft tears beginning to flow from his eyes, "If it hadn't been for you, then I probably would've never wanted to come back."

Luna smiles, "No problem, it's what I do."

"And thanks for the pudding. I never thanked you for it all." The boy continues a chuckle entering his voice.

"No problem for that either." She answers with a smile, before the boy breaks the hug.

"Anyways… Luna, can you help me write a song?" Lincoln looks away and rubs the back of his head. "I… I don't know how."

"Sure Linc." Luna shrugs, "But if you don't mind me asking, why?"

"Simple really." He sighs, "A Monody is for the past. I wanna move on."

" _Wow… he really has gotten passed everything that's happened to him."_ The young woman finds herself smiling at the idea, "Heh, all right then, I can dig it." She turns to face the small desk she used to focus her thoughts, before grabbing one of the pens, "So where do you wanna start?"

Lincoln takes a seat on Luna's bed, next to the desk, while rubbing his chin in thought, "Hmm… well, how about we start off with active?"

"Oh?" Luna raises an eyebrow in interest, "That's a strange way to put it. Mind explaining bro?"

He leans back and taps his chin with his own pencil, "I want this song to tell a story is all." He then pulls back and focuses his attention on Luna once more, "Remember, you girls are my inspiration and my family. I want something that can describe that all."

"Heh, then I think I know what to do." Luna can't help, but chuckle at her brother's sentiment. "Ready to tell a story?"

The boy nods, "Yeah." And with that, they get to writing.

 _ **A Few Minutes Later…**_

"All right, I think this is ready." Lincoln takes his post at Luna's guitar set, making sure to grab the set of drumsticks as he does so, "What do you think, Luna?"

Luna hops to her feet and readies her guitar in response, "Hmm, I think so too. Wanna play it?"

The boy smiles, "Of course." Before he hits the sticks together and begins to drum the beat. Quickly, his adoptive sister adds her electric guitar to the mix.

"Crashing through the crowded halls, dodging girls like Ping-Pong balls, just to reach the bathroom on time!" The girl sings, a soft joy filling her voice.

Yet, not to leave her to do all the singing, Lincoln adds, "Leaping over laundry piles, diapers you can smell for miles, guy's gotta do what he can, to survive!"

And together they sing, "In the Loud House, in the Loud House! Duct dodge push and shove, it's how we show our love! In the Loud House, in the Loud House! One Boy, ten girls, wouldn't trade it for the world!"

After that, the laugh, before falling back onto the young woman's bed.

"Luna…" Lincoln starts.

"Yeah?" The young woman continues.

"Thanks for being my sisters."

"No problem."

* * *

Fear begins to overwhelm the voice, the truth of Lincoln's life slowly dawning upon it. "N-no!"

"Goodbye!" Lincoln declares, before pulling back his arm, "This is for everything you've done! I am never going to listen to you again!"

Though, before he finishes, he can't help, but allow one final memory to play, just to seal the deal.

* * *

"Heh goodnight!" Lincoln declares, while he caries the young Lily up to her room. _"Heh, I can't believe this is my baby sister now."_ The young boy carefully places the young girl in her crib, doing his best to fight the tears forming in his eyes as he does so. "Goodnight Lily."

And yet, rather than fall asleep, Lily continues to stare at the boy, seemingly asking for him to do something he had only done with the young orphans he had once lived with.

For a moment, Lincoln remains silent, unsure of just what to do, "Lily, is everything all right?"

The infant crosses her arms and continues to stare, "Poo-poo."

"You want me to tell you a bedtime story?" The boy raises an eyebrow in confusion, "I mean… I can, but… are you sure?" He rubs the back of his head, "I haven't really… you know… written much since you girls have had me busy celebrating my adoption and stuff."

Lily loosens up and nods, "Poo-poo." Before following it up with some more, random baby gibberish.

Lincoln sighs, "Heh, ok, fine, I'll tell you a story." He grabs the nearby stool and takes a seat, _"Some things just never change."_ He can't help, but chuckle at the idea, while noticing that the room's second occupant is shifting in her sheets, no doubt she too wants to be comfortable while Lincoln tells a story, _"Heh, the genius toddler wants to hear it too."_

He smiles, and simply begins to tell a story about a powerful wizard and the hero that vowed to fight him off. When that story alone proves to not be enough to lull Lily to sleep, he tells another- this one of princess being rescued by the queen herself. Though, this too proves to not be enough as well.

" _Heh, she's a picky one."_ Lincoln can't help, but think, before he takes a deep breath, _"Third time's the charm."_ He begins to speak with a gentle voice, "Once upon a time, there was a young boy, whom thought that his life was as good as it could get. Yeah, he didn't have a true family, but he had his sister and the other orphans." He looks out, into the soft, moonlit night, "But, one day, his sister left him, hoping that he would move on. In his grief, the young boy ran out after her, only for a young woman to find him." His voice begins to fill with hope, "And soon, he and the young woman became great friends. After that, they created their own family, and the young boy was never lost again. The end."

And with that, Lily and Lisa's soft snores begin to fill the room, signaling that the final story had done the trick.

" _Heh, I gotta get back to writing soon. It's gonna get harder to put them to sleep!"_ He can't help, but chuckle before hopping to his feet and making his way out of the room. Though, he can swear he notices the girls rush into their rooms as he does so. _"They were watching me, huh?"_ He smiles, "Hey girls, if you want me to tell you stories too, you can just ask!"

And immediately, the twins rush out of their room and pull him inside- no doubt to take him up on that offer.

* * *

And with that, Lincoln sends his fist into his doppelgänger, causing it to disappear in cloud of dust.

As soon as that happens, Lincoln can feel a weight lift off his shoulders. It is as if all the pain and misery he had bottled up over the years had finally released, allowing him to finally move on with his life.

For a moment, he considers making a quip about the scene. Maybe mention how it would make a great scene in one of his stories. And yet, he simply finds himself tucking his writing journal under his arm, before he turns and walks back to the couch. With that he simply lies down upon it and sleeps the night away.

 _ **A Few Days Later…**_

"Come on… come on!" the young boy whispers, pulling himself up to a wooden cabinet as he does so, "I need to get to it…" Slowly, he is able reach out and grab onto one of the cabinet shelves. _"Jackpot!"_ A soft smile forms on his face, while he pulls himself to eye-level with the shelf, allowing him to gaze upon its contents, _"Found you!"_ And then, with a single movement, he grabs the jar of jelly, and jumps down to the floor, just as he had done countless times before.

"You know Lincoln," Lori steps into the kitchen, having noticed her foster brother's feat just as he was finishing it up, "you could've just asked one of us to grab it for you."

"Yeah," he puts on a nostalgic smile and awkwardly rubs the back of his head, "I know… but some habits are just hard to break, you know."

"Of course." The young woman runs her hand through the young boy's pure, white hair- his soft locks glimmer in the morning sun, "But next time, just ask us to get you some, we don't want you getting hurt, ok?"

Lincoln sighs, as much as he wanted to argue that he had done that so many times that there is no risk, he knows that his family means well, "Ok, ok." He holds his hands up defensively, "I'll stop it."

"Good." The young woman smiles, before turning and motioning for him to follow her, "Now, come on, there's something I wanna show you."

The young boy raises an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh? What is it?"

And yet, much to his dismay, she simply shakes her head, "I'm not gonna tell you." She squats down to his height, "You're just gonna have to come with and find out."

" _Heh, of course."_ Lincoln sighs, before chuckling, "Well then I hope this is a great surprise!"

"Awesome." Lori then grabs his hand and leads him over to the backdoor, "Ready for it?"

Suddenly, Lincoln finds his heart starting to race. If the surprise is in the backyard, which can only mean that it is too big to have in the house! _"I sure hope Lisa didn't accidentally start the zombie apocalypse!"_ Though, he is still able to nod, prompting Lori to push open the door and pull him into the backyard, revealing his entire family as well as a table filled with food.

"Surprise!" They shout in unison.

"Wow!" Lincoln takes a moment to look around. There are streamers and balloons littering the soft grass and hanging from the back patio. Above the door rests a sign that reads, "Happy Birthday Lincoln!" The boy speaks with disbelief in his voice, "What is all this?!"

"A surprise party dummy!" Luan jumps in front of the boy, a soft smile on her face.

"I…I don't know what to say!" The young boy responds. "I… I've never had a surprise party before!"

Luna steps in, strumming the song that he and her brother had made, "When we heard what had happened on your birthday, well, we wanted to make it better."

"And since we already missed the actual date…" Lynn rubs the back of her head, before motioning to the event around her, "We all pitched in to make you a party! You know, so that you'd be able to turn your sad memory into a happy one!"

" _Heh, my birthday is already a happy memory."_ Lincoln smiles.

"I even invited that boy you told us about." Lucy nonchalantly adds, before motioning towards the door.

"Hey!" A voice calls out, prompting the young boy to turn to the source. Clyde now stood at the backyard entrance with his fathers at his side.

"You're the boy that robbed us!" Harold shouts, before Howard pulls out his phone, "I have to call-"

"No!" Clyde frantically shouts, "He just did that because he needed to help the orphans!"

"It doesn't look like he's an orphan!" Harold continues.

"That's because we adopted him a few days ago." Lynn Sr. motions for the two men to calm down, "I apologize for any actions that my adoptive son has done." He looks into Harold's eyes, "And I promise, I will reimburse you for…" He turns to his foster child, "Uhh… what did you take from them?"

Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "Some food and stuff… and five dollars from Clyde."

"I see." The man then shoves his hand in his pocket and pulls out a small wallet, "Would a hundred dollars pay for it all?"

Howard stares at the young boy, whom is now rubbing his arm in embarrassment, "I'll accept it, only if he tells us why he did it."

" _You know… I've always hated this part of coming clean."_ Lincoln sighs, "Well… before the Louds came and adopted me, the orphanage was struggling to move along… so in order to supplement our meager food supplies I would…" he rubs his head and looks away, "Go into people's homes and grab some of their food…"

" _Well that explains where all the pudding went."_ Lynn Sr. fights the urge to crack a smile.

Lincoln looks into the men's eyes, "I'm sorry if I hurt and scared you, but please, I did it to help the other orphans. Can you ever forgive me?"

Harold turns to his own adoptive son, "Clyde, do you forgive him?"

The dark-skinned boy nods, "Yeah, I do." He walks over and offers his hand to the boy, "Friends?"

The white-haired boy nods, "Friends."

Howard and Harold turn to each other and nod, before Howard continues, "Then I suppose we can accept payment."

"Thank you." Rita cuts in, "And we promise that he'll never do this again." The woman looks at her son, "Right?"

Lincoln nods, "Right."

"Aww, this is great!" Lori runs over, a plate of snacks in hand, "You've made a friend!"

As soon as Clyde's eyes fall upon Lori, he begins to nosebleed, before shouting, "Error, error, red alert, robot shutting down!" before he falls back.

"Clyde!" His fathers shout in unison, grabbing their son as they do so. "We have to take him to the hospital!" And before anyone knows it, they're out the door with the boy.

" _Huh… I wonder what that was about…"_ Lincoln raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Haha!" A familiar voice responds, "I did not see that coming!"

The boy's eyes go wide, before he turns and runs at the source. "Hey sis!" He throws his arms around her, the young girl doing the same. "I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"Heh, and here I thought I could go one party without you expecting me to come along and add things." Liberty chuckles in response.

"Well hey, it is our birthday party! We gotta enjoy it!" Lincoln responds, and the duo laughs in unison. He turns to his adoptive family, "Thanks you guys, you're the best!"

"We know." Lynn crosses her arms with a soft smile, "We wanted to make sure this would be the best birthday party we could give you ya know!"

"Present time! Lola shouts, cutting Lincoln's response off, before both she and Lana rush over, a small package in hand.

" _I wonder what they got me…"_ The boy takes the box in his hands, "Thanks you guys, I don't deserve it."

"Yes you do." Lucy smiles at him, "You're our brother, and we want you to be comfortable here."

"Now open it!" Lori commands, "We all pitched in to get you it!"

The boy smiles, "All right." before he tears at the wrapping, and once his eyes fall upon what is hidden inside, he smiles, "You guys didn't?!" He tears through, revealing a small tablet with an accompanying stylus.

"We know how much you love to write, so we got you a tablet so you can save some space you'd use with notebooks." Lori smiles and rubs his head.

"I don't know what to say." Lincoln smiles and looks at his adoptive family, "Thanks you guys."

"That reminds me, where do you sleep, bro?" Liberty nudges his brother's arm, "I'm sure that it's definitely more comfortable than our room at the orphanage!"

In response, Lincoln rubs the back of his head, "Well, actually, I sleep on the couch since-" The boy tries to answer, only for Leni to rush out the backdoor shouting, "I finished Lincoln's room!"

"What?!" His eyes go wide in shock.

"Yeah! I finally converted the linen closet into a small bedroom!" Leni continues, clearly out of breath from all the work she had put in to finish it in time.

And as soon as she finishes saying that, the entire family rushes upstairs to see the room.

They stand in front of the closed door for a moment, all of them eager to see the young woman's handiwork.

"So, we know it's not as big as what you're used to…" Rita rubs the back of her head, "But, it's the best we can do, given our… limited space." and so, she opens up the room, revealing a small bed and dresser crammed into it all, while there is a small, rounded window allowing light to filter through.

Without hesitation, Lincoln smiles, "I love it!" He steps in and gazes around, _"My own room… my own space in the Loud house…"_ He can't help but look around in awe. Yes, it's quite bland, but given how it is new and is his own space, he lets it go, choosing instead to shout, "Thank you!"

And the Louds simply respond in unison.

"Ahh, there you are!" Lisa steps out of her room, "Come in you two, I have something important to show you!"

Liberty and Lincoln look at each other for a moment, before simply shrugging and entering the room.

The young girl walks over to her workbench and motions towards two laptops that rest on it, "My gift to you two are these: a twin set of laptops so you two can keep in touch any time of the day."

"Wow, I… I don't know what to say…" Lincoln's voice trails off, before he simply leans over and hugs the young girl, "Thanks Lisa."

Liberty follows up by wrapping an arm around her and playfully noogying her head, "Thanks for the laptop… and thanks for taking care of my brother."

"It literally is no problem." Lori cuts in with a smile.

"So what's next?" Lincoln breaks the hug and turns to face his family. A soft air begins to overtake them all.

The sisters look at each other, before Lucy declares, "Now is time for cake."

"Awesome!" Lincoln cheers, before Lily brings over a chocolate bar, "Huh? Chocolate?" He drops the box and inspects the bar, "How's this gonna…" He looks up at the sisters, their soft, caring gazes turning to those of starved carnivores, "Oh… you girls love chocolate huh?" determination begins to fill his body.

The girls prepare to pounce on the boy.

"Well then." He rushes passed them, "You're gonna have to come get it!" He quickly banks left and slides down the railing, before back flipping to the front door, "And he makes the jump!"

The girls quickly give chase to the boy, yet, it's of no use, he rushes outside and quickly opens up the wrapper. "All right, here goes!" In full view of the sisters, he scarfs down the bar of sweet chocolate, allowing it's tangy taste to fill his mouth, "Delicious!"

For a moment, the girls look on in shock.

"That… that was the first chocolate bar we didn't get to eat!" Lana flares her arms for emphasis. "How can this be?!"

"Poo-poo!" Lily flails her arms in shock, followed by the girls simply remaining silent, unsure of just how to react to the revelation that their adoptive brother would be able to stand up to their chocoholic tendencies.

Luna, however, is the first to break from the shock, and responds by walking over and patting Lincoln on the back, "Nice job bro! You may not be our brother by mother, but if you're able to get rid of chocolate that quickly, and get a taste of it, then you're definitely a Loud!"

"Heh, thanks Luna!" Lincoln smiles at her, before turning to them all, "Thanks for everything you guys."

After that, they eat the cake, before they go on with their day. The family plays and simply has fun, and when they've had their due; they simply sit around telling stories of the lives that they had enjoyed and their dreams for the future. And when it's all over, Lynn Sr rushes into the home and brings out an old camera.

"All right! Get in everyone!" The man takes the next moment to aim the device. Yes, he knows it's outdated, but sometimes you just can't beat the classics. And so, with the setting sun behind them, the twins up in front and the Louds surrounding them all, they take a single photo to commemorate the day.

Lincoln smiles, "Awesome." he turns to face the setting sun. Hope begins to fill his body, while determination follows suit. Soft words begin to resound, while he turns to his twin. No doubt she can feel the same thing _"You'll know when you've found your way."_

"You ready, bro?" Liberty asks, smiling at him, "You know, for the future?"

The boy simply smiles, knowing that no words are needed to answer that question.

With that, all eleven of his sisters surround and throw their arms around him, pulling the boy into a massive, claustrophobic hug. Lincoln, of course, does his best to return the favor, though finds himself too constricted… not that he minds of course. And for a moment, he simply lets their warmth overtake him, allowing his mind to wander once more.

" _To think, I was lost and I didn't even realize it. But these girls found me and gave me everything they could. They gave me a home and a family I can call my own. I'm their brother and they're my sisters. I am a Loud, and I wouldn't have it any other way."_

* * *

" _Faded pictures bleached by sun. The tale's told, the summer's done. In memories, the twins still play, on a sunny, summer's day."_ ~Gravity Falls.

9-'13 19-21-18-16-18-9-19-5-4 14-15 15-14-5 19-8-9-16-16-5-4 12-9-14-3-15-12-14 1-14-4 12-9-2-5-18-20-25

"19-20-15-18-25 9-19 20-8-5 19-15-14-7 12-9-14-5 15-6 1 16-5-18-19-15-14-'19 12-9-6-5. 23-5 14-5-5-4 20-15 19-9-14-7 9-20 1-14-4 23-5 14-5-5-4 19-15-13-5-15-14-5 20-15 8-5-1-18 20-8-5 19-9-14-7-9-14-7. 19-20-15-18-25 20-15-12-4. 19-20-15-18-25 8-5-1-18-4. 19-20-15-18-25 23-18-9-20-20-5-14. 19-20-15-18-25 18-5-1-4 3-18-5-1-20-5-19 20-8-5 23-5-2 15-6 12-9-6-5 9-14 23-15-18-4-19." ~3-18-9-19-20-9-14-1 2-1-12-4-23-9-14

 **A/N And with that, Finding A Loud is complete! I hope you guys enjoyed everything I did and all the effort I put into completing this story! I really had fun writing this!**

 **Music used: "The Loud House Theme Song" By Chris Savino**

 **Guest Replies (C18):**

 **Just A Reader: While I love the ideas, some things are just too broad to end a story neatly on.**

 **JA32: Thanks! I did my best!**

 **I thank my Beta-Readers/Editors as well as my support network: Wolvenstrom, Sunblast-X and Insane Master Writer Studio. Without you guys, I definitely wouldn't have been able to get as far as I have with this story!"**

 **I thank everyone who has followed, faved and reviewed this story and continued to give their support, you guys are one of the reasons why I kept going, even when school and life was getting in the way! Thanks for taking the time out of your days to encourage me!**

 **Lastly, I thank everyone who's read my work. As I have said, I live by a motto: "No pain, no regret, no remorse and no shame." Which, in layman's terms means: Do your best no matter what. And I can safely say, I did my best! Thank you all!**

 **Anyways, with all that said, time for some trivia!**

 **1) This story was inspired by Anon-Sama's "A Loud To Stay" which got me interested in the concept.**

 **2) The original idea for this story had Lincoln meet Liberty after the latter transferred to his school. Ronnie Anne would've bullied Liberty thinking she were Lincoln in disguise only to apologize after realizing the truth… and then a biology class would've kicked off the main plot of finding their birth parents.**

 **3) The working title for this story was "Meeting A Loud." However, once I settled on "Finding A Loud" I gave the working title to zachor16. Also, Finding A Loud is a pun on a movie title: Finding A Family. I wonder who noticed that.**

 **4) Originally, the story wasn't going to talk about Lincoln's talent, as it isn't mentioned in-series, however, once Sunblast X suggested it, well I just rolled with it all.**

 **5) Interestingly enough, when it came to each chapter, Lincoln's flashbacks were the absolute last thing I added. I found each to be necessary to build the auxiliary characters, but not enough to put them into the into the original drafts**

 **Anyways, unlike S &T, I won't post stats and numbers, since those things change over time... Though I will say at the time of posting this chapter, this story has had 40k views and 270 reviews. Thank you all for this chance!**

 **I thank everyone who helped me and has given this chance to get this far! You're the best and I wish you the same!**

 **And with this, my name is Omega Ultra and I take my leave. Until next time!**


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